LEGAL

ATTENTION: ATTORNEYS AT LAW!

This is to let you and through yourself others in the legal community know that it is now extremely easy to not only sue but win major monetary settlements and awards from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society corporation over Jehovah's Witnesses (hereafter called the organization/ Watchtower), which this invites you to do on behalf of numerous victims of child abuse. This is because in 2006-2007 courts in California ruled

1. the organization is responsible for the misconduct of its Elders and Ministerial Servants, i.e. clergymen
2. the organization does not enjoy Ecclesiastical Privilege for keeping its Judicial Committee records confidential and away from the discovery process
3. clergy are appointed by Watchtower; and all other truly major decisions must be approved by Watchtower, records are filed with it, etc.

The responsibility is both legal and financial and owes to facts such as that the organization's clergy class are appointed and disciplined from top-down, all local properties are ultimately owned by the organization. The lack of Eccelesiastical Privilege throwing wide open access to the organization's Judicial Committee records is due to the organization not having confessions from its pedophiles et al. on a one-to-one (confessing sinner to one clergyman) basis but instead requiring confessions heard by a whole group of Elders convened as a Judicial Committee and causing even more persons to be informed more by mailing records to be seen at the world headquarters facilities in New York.

The Watchtower has substantial assets held via not only the mother corporation but spin-off corporations, mostly formed in recent years possibly in misguided hope of thwarting obtainment of assets. Watchtower sold one of its many Brooklyn buildings for $50 million ostensibly because wishing to relocate to northern New York though the sale also yielded liquid cash usable for future pay outs http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/49/30_49standish.html. The multi-billion dollar entity has a database of its pedophile perps in all states that now may hold over 23,000 records, and seems more than eager to do settlement pay outs rather than have cases and such data proceed into court.

Love And Norris Attorneys At Law Love and Norris, state: "Consistently, the Watchtower Society and Jehovah's Witnesses congregations have responded to an abuse outcry with concern for the organization's loss of reputation or prestige, rather than concern for victimized children. By failing to acknowledge the problem, investigate vigorously and cooperate with criminal law enforcement authorities, the Watchtower Society has failed to protect its own children from sexual predators."

Watchtower has paid out enormous sums of money to many victims successfully sued by Love And Norris: Confirm at http://www.silentlambs.org/APpresscoverage.htm. Their law firm is at 314 Main Street, Suite 300; Fort Worth, Texas 76102; ph 817.335.2800 or toll free 877.4ABUSED (422.8733) FAX 817.335.2912; Greg Love and Kimberlee Norris (No e-mail address available at this time). They partner in Jehovah's Witness child abuse cases with Fibich, Hampton & Leebron, LLP. Address: Five Houston Center 1401; McKinney Suite 1800; Houston, TX 77010 713.761.0025. The numerous victims across the U.S. and worldwide need more attorneys. Since 2006-07 case are easier to win!

An enormous source of information pertaining to perps, mostly clergymen, among JWs is available at silentlambs.org which was founded by Bill Bowen (contact via info@silentlambs.org) and includes videos, transcripts, photos etc from documentaries and news reports from CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC etc. Silentlambs is also working with American's Most Wanted and U.S. Marshalls' efforts to capture fugitive Rick McLean. A state-by-state listing of towns where alleged sex offenders were reported is at the end of: http://silentlambs.org/sllist.htm. Whether near any of those locations or not you are encouraged to ask victims to receive your help.

The victims, Silentlambs.org and helpful peer attorneys await your contact!

NOTE: Watchtower is trying to re-structure itself more and more in order to possibly escape some of the finanicial liability from court actions, shifting such to local and regional Elders (JW clergymen), but fortunately that cannot be completed for probably several more years. Still, you and the victims need to be going into action; so pick up the phone etc, now.

“’A Time to Speak’—When?’

Watchtower 1987 9/1, pages 12-15.

“MARY works as a medical assistant at a hospital. One requirement she has to abide by in her work is confidentiality. She must keep documents and information pertaining to her work from going to unauthorized persons. Law codes in her state also regulate the disclosure of confidential information on patients........

“This command from the Highest Level of authority in the universe put the responsibility upon each Israelite to report to the judges any serious wrongdoing that he observed so that the matter might be handled. While Christians are not strictly under the Mosaic Law, its principles still apply in the Christian congregation. Hence, there may be times when a Christian is obligated to bring a matter to the attention of the elders. True, it is illegal in many countries to disclose to unauthorized ones what is found in private records. But if a Christian feels, after prayerful consideration, that he is facing a situation where the law of God required him to report what he knew despite the demands of lesser authorities, then that is a responsibility he accepts before Jehovah. There are times when a Christian “must obey God as ruler rather than men.”—Acts 5:29.

Read it all in full at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/107603/1/A-Time-to-Speak-When-with-scans

Note: The Governing Body of the Watchtower Society over Jehovah’s Witnesses has views that, at the very least, appear to severely differ with the tightly enforced HIPAA privacy law of the United States.

Legal authorities such as attorneys. legislators and judges in all lands need to know this. The Watchtower magazine is distributed earthwide, so also feel free to send a copy to officials in lands outside the U.S. as some of them also have privacy laws etc.

Watchtower’s position also clashes with what the Bible says at Romans 13:1.

ANDERSONS CONTINUE TO TAKE ON WATCHTOWER INJUSTICES

Joe Anderson wrote a letter when he resigned as an elder of the Manchester, Tennessee, Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and it was used as a basis by the Watchtower heads over Jehovah’s Witnesses to disfellowship (enact severe shunning against) him four weeks later on June 5, 2002. Joe’s letter was addressed to: Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses; Service Department; 2821 Route 22; Patterson, NY 12563-2237 . What it says includes the following, and a full copy of the letter is at

http://watchtowerdocuments.com/downloads/2002_Joe_%20Andersons_Elder_Resignation_Letter.pdf

It notes for example that Watchtower’s Spokesman, J. R. Brown, accused Joe’s wife Barbara of committing some unspecified "spiritual violations" or "sins" for which she was being called before a judicial committee. This blemished her character before the whole world, no proof offered then or ever. Watchtower itself had forced Barbara Anderson to go to the media about the judicial hearing convened by the local congregation at orders of the Watchtower's own Legal Department. Then, because she went to the media over the sexual abuse crisis among JWs, she was accused of causing divisions among the flock.

The letter notes that the spokesman J. R. Brown did not just say this but instead accused her of "sins," thus “blackening her character.” Watchtower knew there was no proof that this Christian woman had caused any divisions by propagating her views about child abuse before she went to the media.

If she had caused any such divisions, then the Apostle Paul should have been disfellowshipped for causing divisions among the flock because he publicized sexual immorality in the Corinthian congregation, noted the Corinthian Congregation hid fornication in their midst, and he recorded his accusations for people to be reading during the past 2,000 years.

Watchtower approves in writing that Paul went public revealing disgraceful conduct condoned in the congregation, but Watchtower sought to punish Barbara Anderson for publicly noting that Watchtower itself keeps condoneing and protecting immoral people via its own bad policies.

Disfellowshipping Barbara Anderson violated the Apostle Paul's command to keep the congregation clean. Disfellowshipping her for causing divisions because of publicly speaking out about uncleanness in Watchtower also violated the freedom of speech that Christ grants Christians.

Given what the letter points out, is it any wonder that so many JW youths have quit the Watchtower, that so many JW adults have decreased preaching activity on its behalf and choose to no longer donate money to it? Love builds up and the lack of love tears down.

Watchtower’s own, likely very inflated statistics for 2008 show many 0’s and -1’s for “growth” in nations worldwide, especially in Europe. They are worsening. As depression among JWs continues, suicides may increase. The organization is not exploding but imploding.

It is a shame that Judge Patricia J. Cottrell did not let the Andersons press their lawsuit on to a successful conclusion because it involved a church group. Cottrell's "reason" falls flat since other Judges and courts often step in and deal with situations involving churches, for example when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons) on polygamy and virtually every day movements of Judges to make JW parents permit emergency transfusions to save the lives of their children.

Heartening, though, is the fact that in the end the truth still gets seen and justice does prevail even in this patently badly ruled upon case. As a citizen Barbara Anderson is using her right to free speech to the full as seen at watchtowerdocuments.com. The efforts of her husband and herself to defend children from begin raped by mobster-like power-bloated Elders in all states of the U.S. as well as around the world enter them into the ranks of heroine and hero, even as true for former JW Elder Bill Bowen of silentlambs.org.

Freely copy and share this letter and the internet address christianwitnesses.com among friends and family members you may have or know of who are among Jehovah’s Witnesses in your own areas so that they can read and learn of options listen on the website as to where all they can go to for help.

Sincerely,

J. Mason Emerson (“Joe”)

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT AGAINST WATCHTOWER ELDERS!

In a federal lawsuit titled “Cole verus Elder Body of Tualatin Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness et al,” and with case number 3:2008cv01401, Wilma Leah Cole is suing the Elder Body of the Tualatin, Oregon, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The accused Elders are Tim Myers, Richard Hobbs, George Stanley, Mark Peterson, S. Scott and J. Bear. The papers were filed December 3, 2008. Presiding is Magistrate Judge Paul Papak.

Also being sued as defendants in the Medical and Dental Fields are Roy Dursife, Alexis Ly, John Smith, Hatch, plus also the Tuality Community Hospital. The hospital or hospital chain has addresses in Hillsboro and Beaverton: http://anywho.yellowpages.com/name/OR/Tuality-Community-Hospital?from=AnyWho and the hospital has a day surgery program.

Trial will be by jury as required under the 42:1983 Civil Rights Act: Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.

Short of getting copies of the papers, only guesses can be applied to what Ms. Cole’s lawsuit involves in terms of whatever its stated allegations may be, and I for one am not an attorney and if you want better guesses or opinions you are advised to speak to one or more.

However, that said, one might guess, for example, that she sustained some manner of injury or loss at a hospital (blood issue?), and it may be that she feels the injury or loss came about as a result of what was done during an operation by attending hospital workers or doctors as well as feel that the Body Of Elders at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at Tualatin somehow may have contributed to or caused the injury or loss; conjecturing further: perhaps some manner of false injurious advice or coersion.

While Elders may claim immunity from prosecution under Ecclesiastical Privilege under the U.S. Constitution as part of a hierarchial religious organization, such as the Watchtower Society over JWs, can those Elders’ attorneys rightly say, in view of the 1983 Civil Rights Act, that the Elders are not liable for whatever the Body Of Elders may have done while acting as a “local” Body Of Elders or, as might be claimed, as individual Elders? Or might they be liable under state law but not under federal law or vice versa; and might not being liable under federal law mean they are also automatically not liable under state law or the federal Act???

There is no indication that the Watchtower Society corporation is itself being sued, only the local Body Of Elders. Perhaps Watchtower is nevertheless providing attorneys for the Elders, or perhaps not. Or maybe they are this time, but in similar future cases will not, leaving it up to local and the yet-to-be-formed regional Bodies Of Elders to fend for themselves with their own attorneys.

In short it sounds like the lawsuit series might tend to be complicated and also tend to set some manner of precedent.

News reporters might find the following helpful: To contact the Oregon District Court use 740 The Mark O. Hatfield; United States Courthouse; 1000 Southwest Third Avenue; Portland, OR 97204-2802; Phone: 503-326-8008 Web Site: http://ord.uscourts.gov The Chambers phone number for the Honorable Paul Papak is 503 326-8270. The phone number of his Courtroom Deputy Gary Magnuson is 503 326-8055.

Tualatin is mostly in Washington County, Oregon, just 13 miles south of Portland, also close to McMinnville and Beaverton. McMinnville gained notoriety from past instances of murder there involving the JW community.

Tualatin takes its name from the adjoining Tualatin River which in turned is named for Native Americans. It has a population of about 26,000. Median income for a family is about $68,000. The racial makeup is mostly 87% Caucasian, also Hispanic. Manufacturing businesses produce electrochemicals and musical-sound equipment. Tualatin’s official website is at www.ci.tualatin.or.us/

To see pictures and a map of Tualatin and area click on http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Tualatin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image

For photos click of Tualatin and area: http://flickr.com/search/?q=Tualatin

Some Oregon newspapers which might want to do stories upon learning of this include for example, Tualatin’s newspaper Tualatin Oregonian Agency West (503 692-8482) and Portland papers The Oregonian (503 968-3162) and King City Oregonian (503 684-0974).

Thanks go to Danny for providing the original lead to this story. Being non-attorneys and not directly involved we find this of great interest and would interested in finding out what happens.