On September 5, 1980, as U.S. District Court Judge Charles Richey was recuperating from two pulmonary embolisms and exhaustion, lawyers for the Church of Scientology and the Justice Department gathered before Judge Aubrey Robinson, Richey's successor in the two-year-old conspiracy case against 11 members of the Church of Scientology. Judge Richey had already convicted and sentenced nine of the original 11 defendants, but the remaining two, recently extradited from England, were about to go on trial. "Particularly from the standpoint of ...

In the last few years the Scientologists have dumbfounded me again and again with their incredible attitude on numerous things. Again they are attempting to stretch a story to make their organization look like a benign, kindly angel in the City of Clearwater. I refer to your Clearwater Times edition of Oct. 22, a story entitled "Scientologists announce plan to help community," complete with artist's rendering of proposed facelift for the former Bank of Clearwater building purchased by the Scientologists ...

CLEARWATER — Church of Scientology president Ken Whitman announced Tuesday a four-point plan to increase the church's contributions to the community. At a morning press conference in the former Sandcastle Motel, which the Scientologists bought last year, Whitman said the church will begin a $50,000 facelift of the former Bank of Clearwater, purchased by the church in 1975. He said workers this week will begin repairing the roof, repainting the building, adding planters, including small trees, in front of the building, ...

CLEARWATER — The Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce and Scientology critic Alex Cornell have taken separate shots at the Church of Scientology — with differing results. On Tuesday, the Tarpon Chamber board pared a resolution asking the church to kindly stay out of its city. On Wednesday, Cornell continued to urge motorists passing the church-owned Fort Harrison Hotel, 201 S Fort Harrison Ave., to show their displeasure with Scientology by honking their horns. The Chamber resolution was greeted with airy indifference ...

[Important broadcast about how Scientology took over the town of Clearwater, Florida.]

CLEARWATER — Church of Scientology guardian Douglass Sadwick avoided a second possible jail sentence for contempt Friday by agreeing to cooperate in a criminal investigation of activities of church members. Only moments before Sadwick was scheduled to face a contempt-of-court hearing, Sadwick's attorney, William Plowman, told Circuit Judge John S. Andrews that his client was willing to talk, despite his contention that the questions violate Sadwick's constitutional rights. Prosecutors had asked Andrews to find Sadwick in civil contempt for refusing to ...

CLEARWATER — The American Softball Association may be asked to strip the Church of Scientology of eligibility to play in the city of Clearwater-sponsored church softball league. Jim Altaffer, the association's Metro Commissioner, said the group of Clearwater-area church representatives wants the association to declassify the Scientology team as a church team and place it in the city's regular non-religious city league. The churches believe that Scientology is not a bona fide religion. The Scientologists say they are and add that ...

CLEARWATER — Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney James T. Russell said Tuesday that members of the Church of Scientology have attempted to infiltrate his office at least five times since 1976. The alleged infiltration attempts failed because routine background checks on the job applicants revealed that hey were members of the Church of Scientology, Russell said. Asked if it was legal to turn down job applicants solely because they are Scientologists, Russell said, "I don't know, but I'd like to fight a lawsuit ...

CLEARWATER — Church of Scientology spokesman Milt Wolfe and another church official were jailed Thursday for failing to respond to subpoenas by Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney James T. Russel. Wolfe and Ted Froyland, an official of the church's Ministry of Legal Affairs, were taken into custody by detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 3 p.m., according to sheriff's spokesman Merrill Stebbins. After spending less than two hours in custody, the two Scientologists were released on their own recognisance by Circuit ...

''On Dec. 13, former Scientologist LaVenda Van Schaick filed a $200-million class-action lawsuit against the Church of Scientology in Federal Court in Boston, contending that the church falsely promises to improve the lives of its members. Since then, 10 other ex-Scientologists have filed affidavits in support of the suit, giving a glimpse of life within Scientology. The church has files motion to dismiss that case. It also sued Mrs. Van Schaick and others, contending that she is "motivated by malice." Last ...

AFFIDAVIT OF ANNE ROSENBLUM In December, 1972, after my first semester of college (in the state of Washington), I was introduced to Scientology when another Scientologist encouraged me to take a "Personality Test" at the Portland "Org". I was given a poor evaluation on the test. I later learned, however, that it is a customary practice of the "Church" to give one a poor evaluation on the test in order to induce the person into Scientology processing. The Scientologists also told ...

Toronto ON — L. Ron Hubbard, the former science fiction writer who publicly resigned in 1966 from leadership of the Church of Scientology, continued to give orders to its leaders into 1977, a Washington court has been told. Evidence obtained in 1977 in raids on U. S. offices of the cult by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed there was a detailed program to cover up Mr. Hubbard's involvement in the leadership of Scientology. Called Operation Bulldozer Leak, it was part ...

CLEARWATER — Police are investigating the apparent drowning of a woman who reportedly fell from a sea-wall into Clearwater Bay Friday morning. The name of the woman, believed to be a visitor from out of town, is being withheld by police. The victim was described as a white and in her early 50s, 6-feet 3-inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds. She was clad in a blouse, sweater and skirt when she was found floating 10 feet from the wall behind ...