LOS ANGELES (AP)—Church of Scientology officials are accusing a Boston lawyer of conspiring to pass a counterfeit $2 million check "to divert attention from himself." Michael Flynn, a prominent critic of the Church of Scientology who has filed 20 suits against the organization, also was accused of blaming the forgery on Scientologists in an attempt to destroy the controversial group. The allegations regarding the check on the account of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard surfaced Monday in documents filed in Los ...

Church of Scientology officials Monday accused a Boston lawyer who has been a prominent critic of the organization of conspiring to pass a counterfeit $2-million check on the account of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and later blaming the forgery on members of the church as part of an "overall plan" to destroy the group. The charges were made against attorney Michael Flynn in documents filed in Los Angeles federal court in connection, with a lawsuit filed by a Scientology member, ...

A HIGH Court judge yesterday delivered a damning indictment of the Church of Scientology. Mr Justice Latey described the Californian-based sect as 'corrupt, immoral, sinister and dangerous'. And of its methods, he declared: 'For those of us old enough to remember, it is grimly reminiscent of the ranting and bullying of Hitler and his henchmen.' He was giving judgment in the High Court Family Division at the end of a six-month 'tug of love' battle over two children whose father is ...

THE Church of Scientology was condemned as "corrupt, sinister and dangerous" by a High Court Family Division judge today. Mr Justice Latey, in a damning indictment of the Californian-based sect founded by L. Ron Hubbard, said "Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious. "It Is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has as its real objective money and power for its founder, his wife, and those close to him at the top. "It is sinister because it ...

How much evidence do area law enforcement agencies need before launching a full-scale investigation of the Church of Scientology? Apparently the agencies hereabouts are a lot less responsive than they are in Ontario, Canada. The same sworn statements alleging criminal activity on the part of the locally-headquartered sect given to authorities in the Tampa Bay area have prompted action by the Ontario Provincial Police and resulted in the dismissal in California of a civil suit against former Scientology archivist Gerald Armstrong. ...

TAMPA — In a major victory for the city of Clearwater, a federal judge Friday ruled that the city's revised charitable solicitation ordinance is constitutional. But U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich tied some strings to her decision, and Clearwater may still be months from enforcing the law that was aimed at the Church of Scientology but will affect nonprofit groups of all types. The law seeks to regulate the way religious organizations and other nonprofit groups raise money. Predicting that the ...

Former officials of the Church of Scientology say they helped L. Ron Hubbard, the reclusive founder of the cult-like organization, to secretly divert more than $100 million from the church into foreign bank accounts he controlled. The organization, long a subject of investigations in this country, Britain, France, Australia, South Africa, Spain and elsewhere, has maintained that Mr. Hubbard cut his ties to it in the mid-1970's, that he has received only a token consulting fee of $35,000 annually since then ...

A California court state Monday granted an emergency stay and resealed about 500 documents that had been unsealed last week by a Superior Court Judge. The papers, tapes and historical documents were unsealed last week in a case brought by the sect against former Scientology archivist Gerald Armstrong. The sect and its founder's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, sued Armstrong to recover about 10,000 pages of documents he took when he fled the Clearwater-based sect in late 1981. Many of the contested ...

The Church of Scientology faces mounting legal pressure in courts worldwide to explain its actions, policies, beliefs and inner workings. In the United States, Canada and Europe, Scientology is under ever-increasing scrutiny by law enforcement agencies, courts and even governments. And a ruling handed down last week by it Los Angeles Superior Court judge may complicate the legal proceedings involving the Clearwater-based sect. Judge Paul G. Breckenridge stated in an intended ruling Thursday that Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard is the ...

[...] The Church of Scientology won a stay from the 2nd District Court of Appeal resealing exhibits from the trial of its civil suit against former church archivist Gerald Armstrong pending appeal of the case. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul G. Breckenridge Jr., in absolving Armstrong of any liability for taking documents concerning church founder L. Ron Hubbard, had ruled last week that some 500 of those documents which became exhibits in the five-week trial would be open for public ...

Editor: Judge Breckenridge's decision in Los Angeles was based on psychiatric principles of a godless mankind and is just like the Australian decision of 1967; so biased and filled with animosity, that the High Court of Australia responded by granting full religious recognition to all the Churches of Scientology in Australia and 500 other religions by the year 1983. To have quoted reports disseminated by an agency headed by a former SS officer and have them endorsed by Mr. Armstrong, Mr. ...

"We told you so." That's the first reaction any longstanding anti-Scientologist will probably have when reading the brilliant and thundering decision announced Thursday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul G. Breckenridge. In terms that will surely widen the existing cracks in Scientology's foundations, Judge Breckenridge said, "The organization (Scientology) clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder ...." Breckenridge ruled that a former sect archivist, Gerald Armstrong was justified in taking ...

Lawyers who for years have engaged the Church of Scientology in legal battles said Friday that a Los Angeles County Superior court decision handed down this week heralds "the beginning of the end of Scientology." "The walls are collapsing and the truth is finally coining out," Boston attorney Michael Flynn said of the "landmark ruling" of Judge Paul G. Breckenridge. The California judge late Thursday exonerated a former sect member charged with stealing thousands of Scientology documents. But a sect attorney ...

A former Church of Scientology archivist was absolved late Thursday of any liability for taking thousands of personal documents belonging to the organization and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and his wife, Mary Sue Hubbard. The church had sought unspecified monetary damages and return of the documents, which have been impounded by the Los Angeles County Superior Court for the last two years, in its civil suit against Gerald Armstrong, 38, a 12-year church veteran who became disillusioned with Hubbard and ...

In a stinging rebuke to the Church of Scientology of California, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled Thursday that a former sect archivist was justified in taking about 10,000 Scientology documents when he fled the Clearwater-based sect in 1982. Most of the documents in question belonged to the reclusive 73-year-old founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, who has not been seen publicly since 1979. In his 12-page decision, Judge Paul G. Breckenridge said 37-year-old Gerald Armstrong—who was personally authorized by ...

Testimony has ended in the Los Angeles trial of a former Scientologists charged with stealing thousands of documents, letters and pictures when he fled the controversial sect. A Superior Court judge is weighing the evidence before handing down a decision. "The judge (Paul G. Breckenridge) has taken the case under submission, and we don't know how long it will take," Scientology attorney Barrett Litt said Tuesday. "I assume he'll be working on it and we'll hear sometime in the next little ...

Scientology pro and con Editor: I read a copy of the "Way to Happiness," by L. Ron Hubbard, tried it and found happiness. Who can dispute that truth and honesty is the basis of happiness in life? Anyone can try this out and find out for themselves. I read the Clearwater Sun fand felt miserable for hours afterwards. If honesty equals happiness, then I wonder what caused my bad feelings in reading the Sun? DALE CHRISTIANSEN Clearwater —– Editor: The response ...

A former Church of Scientology archivist was a "walking time bomb" at the time he took personal letters and papers of church founder L. Ron Hubbard and his wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, two opposing attorneys agreed Friday at the end of a five-week trial over possession of the documents. The brief and rare point of agreement occurred during closing arguments by Barry S. Litt, attorney for Mrs. Hubbard, and Michael Flynn, attorney for the defendant, archivist Gerald Armstrong, before Los Angeles ...

After five weeks of trial, closing arguments are about to be heard in a Church of Scientology suit against a former church archivist over custody of 10,000 pages of documents, most of which belong to church founder L. Ron Hubbard. The arguments, scheduled to begin today, are expected to last most of the day, according to attorneys for both sides. It was not known whether Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul Breckenridge Jr., who presided over the non-jury trial, will then ...

CLEARWATER — As it has for the past several years, the Church of Scientology has sued the Pinellas County property appraiser and tax collector because the organization was denied a tax-exempt status. Property Appraiser Ron Schultz rejected the Scientology application for exemption of real and tangible property taxes for 1983, and the Property Appraisal Adjustment Board upheld his decision. The Church of Scientology, which filed two suits over those taxes last week, says it should not be made to pay taxes ...

(AP)—Attorneys for the Church of Scientology Friday accused a former archivist of acting like a "spurned lover" when he left the organization and took 10,000 confidential documents with him. But the attorney for ex-church member Gerald Armstrong said his client was a frightened man trying to use the documents as a shield against a "clandestine" organization. A judge who had listened to five weeks of testimony took the matter under submission Friday afternoon after both sides completed their closing arguments. Mary ...

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had a split personality that triggered outbursts of anger against church staffers, his former publicist testified Tuesday. "In a sense he was warm, friendly. In a sense, he could be irrational, erratic," said Laurel Sullivan, a defense witness in a lawsuit filed by the church and Hubbard's wife against former sect archivist Gerald Armstrong. Ms. Sullivan's description was in response to defense counsel Michael Flynn's questions about Hubbard's behavior in 1978 and ...

LOS ANGELES—A former Scientology publicist who was working on a biography of church founder L. Ron Hubbard says she left the organization because she had become "a target" by other church members. Laurel Sullivan, 34, testified Friday in a suit brought by the church and the founder's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, to recover documents allegedly stolen by former church archivist Gerald Armstrong. Ms. Sullivan said she feared some church members saw the biography as a downgrading of Hubbard's image and that ...

Staff Writer George-Wayne Shelor was talking to Managing Editor Sam Fenton on the phone from Los Angeles, where he was covering a lawsuit brought by the Scientologists against a defector who had taken confidential sect documents. "How many letters (to the editor) have you received so far?" Shelor asked. "None," Fenton replied. "None!" Shelor echoed in amazement. "What's going on?" What, indeed! The silence from the community on the latest revelations of the Scientologists' skulduggery is baffling. While members of the ...

A former personal assistant to Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard testified Thursday that she feared that discovery of documents discrediting Hubbard's background would make her a target of the organization. Laurel Sullivan, 34, who left Scientology in 1981 after 14 years of working directly for Hubbard in a public relations role, described her fears during the fourth week of trial of the church's civil suit against its former archivist, Gerald Armstrong. The church is asking Los Angeles Superior Court ...

Former assistant to L. Ron Hubbard testifies in suit to recover documents. LOS ANGELES — A former publicist for Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard testified Friday that she left the church in November 1981 because she had become "a target" of hostility by church members. Ex-publicist Laurel Sullivan, 34, was cross-examined by church attorney Robert Harris in a lawsuit brought by the church and Mary Sue Hubbard, the founder's wife, seeking to recover allegedly stolen documents from former ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who worked as a publicist for Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard testified Thursday that orders were given in February 1980 to shred documents indicating bard was in control of church management. Laurel Sullivan, 34, said the orders for the massive shredding came as church personnel feared a raid by federal agents. Such raids previously took place in Los Angeles, Boston and Washington in July 1979. Sullivan testified before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ...

Church of Scientology spokesman Richard Haworth said Wednesday he is pleased that a second restraining order was issued recently against the city's revised charitable solicitation law. "Once again we have been joined by a coalition of religious groups" in the fight against the ordinance, be said, "and we are pleased they are in the (action) with us." Only a week old, the ordinance became the target of a second restraining order from a federal judge Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge William ...

LOS ANGELES—In an extraordinary move, lawyers for the Church of Scientology have asked that parts of the official court transcript of a civil case be destroyed upon the completion of the trial. The motion was railed "unusual" by Superior Court Judge Paul G. Breckenridge Jr., who denied the request. Breckenridge is ruling over the non-jury trial brought by the sect and Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of its founder. They are asking for the return of 10,000 documents a former Scientologist ...

LOS ANGELES—Scientology lawyers introduced several hundred pages of sealed documents in Superior Court Friday, saying they fracture the defense of a man charged with taking thousands of sect papers when he fled the organization. Letters written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to his children, parents, and wives were submitted by attorney Barrett Litt in an effort to impugn Gerald Armstrong's testimony. Armstrong, a 37-year-old sect researcher, contends he took 10,000 documents in 1981 to defend himself against an anticipated suit. ...