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Oct 13, 2010
Federal court hearing ends impasse between judges — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) TAMPA — An unusual impasse between two area judges came to a close after a hearing Tuesday in federal court. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday clarified an order he issued last week, saying he never meant for it to stop Pinellas Senior Circuit Judge Robert E. Beach from withdrawing from a case involving the Church of Scientology. Merryday said he issued the order only to prevent Beach from fining and suspending attorney Ken Dandar, who Beach determined had defied him. ...
Oct 8, 2010
It's judge vs. judge in battle over over Scientology lawyer — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Usually it's the lawyers who tussle back and forth in court. But a dispute involving the Church of Scientology has two of the area's most notable judges locking horns, each saying the other stepped outside his jurisdiction. Pinellas judge Robert E. Beach has filed a motion in federal court in Tampa saying U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday erred last week when he "permanently enjoined" Beach from carrying out sanctions against lawyer Ken Dandar, who is challenging Scientology. Merryday's order appeared ...
Sep 29, 2010
Federal judge tells Pinellas judge to back off in Scientology lawsuit — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Thomas C. Tobin Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) TAMPA — A federal judge has ordered a Pinellas judge and the Church of Scientology to halt their efforts to severely punish Ken Dandar, a Tampa lawyer who is taking the church to court for the second time in his career. The action Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday involves Pinellas Judge Robert Beach, who has said he intends to impose a $130,000 fine on Dandar and possibly suspend his license to practice law. The reason: Dandar allegedly reneged on ...
Sep 28, 2010
Fed judge to state judge: Butt out of Scientology case — Tampa Tribune (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Elaine Silvestrini Source:
Tampa Tribune (Florida) TAMPA — In a rare clash between courts, a federal judge today said he will order a state judge not to interfere with a lawyer's handling of a federal case involving the Church of Scientology. A visibly irritated U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday granted a motion by lawyer Kennan Dandar, who is representing the estate of Kyle Thomas Brennan in a wrongful death suit against the church. Merryday told Scientology attorneys they "have forced my hand on this issue." The ...
Sep 21, 2010
Editorial // In court with Scientology — Tampa Tribune (Florida)
Type: Press
Source:
Tampa Tribune (Florida) The Church of Scientology is practicing its aggressive form of litigation management against a longtime legal protagonist who has twice represented clients whose relatives died while in the care of church members. Lawyers for the church are using a secret settlement agreement in a state case to try to remove Tampa lawyer Ken Dandar from a federal case they claim has no merit. They persuaded a state judge to order Dandar off the federal case. Trouble is, the federal case is ...
Sep 4, 2010
Federal judge suspends state judgment against lawyer in dispute with Scientology — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Craig Pittman Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) TAMPA — Scientology's most vocal local critic, Ken Dandar, faced disaster. A circuit judge had found him in contempt of court this week and assessed a judgment of $130,000 — to be paid to the Church of Scientology. Dandar might lose his car. He might even lose his law license. All of that, he told a federal judge Friday, because Dandar isn't bowing out of a federal case against the church. But the judge may have given Dandar a reprieve. And ...
Sep 1, 2010
Lawyer in Scientology case is stuck between state and federal judges — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Craig Pittman ,
Curtis Krueger Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) LARGO — One of the Church of Scientology's most vocal critics, Tampa lawyer Ken Dandar, is in a pickle. Six years ago, he settled a wrongful death case against the church on behalf of the family of Lisa McPherson, who died in 1995 after 17 days in the care of church members in Clearwater. Part of the settlement agreement, approved by a judge in state court, required Dandar to never again represent anyone suing Scientology. But last year, Dandar took on ...
Jun 6, 2004
Church settlement brings relief — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) To the disappointment of some outsiders, those mired in the Scientology case were ready for the draining episode to end. CLEARWATER — The recent settlement of the 7-year-old Lisa McPherson wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology was a shocker for many, seemingly coming out of nowhere. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision at all, but rather a resolution that had been simmering more than six months in quiet negotiations at the St. Petersburg law offices of mediator Michael Keane. It ...
May 29, 2004
Scientologists settle death suit — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) Terms of the unexpected settlement are confidential in the wrongful death suit brought by the estate of Lisa McPherson. A 7-year-old wrongful death lawsuit filed by the estate of Lisa McPherson against the Church of Scientology reached a surprise settlement this week, ending one of the most fiercely contested and enduring legal battles in Pinellas County history. The out-of-court agreement ends the last remaining legal threat facing the church after the widely publicized 1995 death of McPherson, a Scientologist who died ...
May 23, 2003
Church requests that trial be moved — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Robert Farley Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) The church says a survey shows that Pinellas jurors have been heavily influenced by media reports. Respondents used words such as "cult" and "evil" frequently. CLEARWATER — Earlier this spring, as the Church of Scientology prepared for its biggest trial in recent history, professional researchers combed Tyrone Square Mall asking Pinellas residents what they thought of the church. "A cult," said person after person. "Scam," said one. "Crooks," said another. The researchers, hired by the church, questioned 300 people. Their findings ...
Dec 9, 2001
Church loads up for one last fight — St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
Type: Press
Author(s):
Deborah O'Neil Source:
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) CLEARWATER – No angry swarms picketed the Church of Scientology last week.
No candlelight vigils. No TV cameras.
No extra police patrols.
For the first time in six years, the anniversary of the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson passed quietly.
The McPherson maelstrom, which brought nightmarish publicity for the church, has ebbed dramatically, now that the high-profile criminal charges against the church were dropped and a raucous group of church critics recently left Clearwater.
But one critical battle remains, one so ...
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