Debbie Cook's Trial

[Jquepublic]

Thanks, I hadn't seen that before.

I got it wrong, though - Exhibit B, not C.


Here is tampabay.com's PDF of Exhibit A to make it up!

 

[Veda]

Incorrect.

The brand "scientology" has been extremely damaged to the extent
it has been compared unfavourably to Al-queda, by poll in the US.

This court hearing has already demonstrated that this is primarily down to a psychopath.

The subject and philosophy may from here have a chance of recovering at least somewhat.

No doubt, you and the other outside the CofS Hubbardites will be busy applying Hubbard's public opinion manipulation tech; and it has demonstrated some "workability" in tricking and influencing "wogs," "raw meat," and even some exes.

But you're jumping the gun. Let the trial play out before you and the other Hubbardites move in to PR damage control mode.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

Many thanks for that.

And, not unnoticed is the fact that as you referenced the joyous promulgation of freely published facts about Scientology online--rather than the incessant drone of Big Brother's lie factory--your post count clicked to 1984.

I think RVY would love that.

Well I'll be damned...thanks a bunch, HH...didn't notice that.

I knew Vaughn...a fine, fine feller...couldn't stop thinking about him today for some reason...irony is so ironically ironic.

Face

 

[Jquepublic]

Tampa Bay Times video of Debbie's attorney giving his opening statement

http://bcove.me/mlebd9gu

[video]http://bcove.me/mlebd9gu[/video]

 

[Infinite]

Incorrect.

The brand "scientology" has been extremely damaged to the extent
it has been compared unfavourably to Al-queda, by poll in the US.

This court hearing has already demonstrated that this is primarily down to a psychopath.

The subject and philosophy may from here have a chance of recovering at least somewhat.

The court hearing has done nothing of the sort. Perhaps you are forgetting it was L Ron Hubbard who first instructed that violence and degradation be used within Scientology. These current claims against Miscavige could've been successfully wielded against L Ron Hubbard in the 1960s when he was locking children in chain lockers. The violent and criminal aspect of Scientology was, again, exposed in the 1970s with "Operation Snow White" . . . the last time the cult was "reformed". Nothing changed, of course. The crimes continued, only more effectively; not because of a psychopath, but because of what the psychopath has written and a deluded few still cling to as Scripture.

 

[afaceinthecrowd]

I note that the connection between DM and Flag was not persued by defense councel.

However Debbie was CO Flag when DM fucked over Lisa.

This may be raised.

Right now, IMO, in one way or another, all of Da Monster's balls are still on the table and in play, so to speak.

Face

 

[Boojuum]

Wowza. Debbie's revelations are fantastic news. It's great!

 

[SanDiegoMember]

Tony has summed up today's events with a really spot on ending observation.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/02/scientology_vs_1.php

I'll be following him again tomorrow!

 

[GreyLensman]

11:00 am. Jeffrey wrapping up his lengthy, impassioned opening statement (he got emotional at one point when he described Wayne Baumgarten wanting to not rock the boat with the church so he could continue to talk to his sons and father, who are church members). Scientology had wanted Judge Tanner to keep Jeffrey under constraints, but she hasn't interrupted him once.

Jeffrey finishing up by raising the issue of the church doing the exact opposite in Florida, where they want a court to butt out when it comes to contracts with members. Apparently, Jeffrey did word clear "estoppel." Recess.

...........

Jeffrey finishing up by raising the issue of the church doing the exact opposite in Florida, where they want a court to butt out when it comes to contracts with members.

LOL! Karma is a bitch, isn't it?

Karma is perfect, here. This is so excellllllennnntttt.

 

[Happy Days]

http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2012/PDFs/scientology021011/c_scientology020912.pdf

Well now Debbie is experiencing the cult's methods of manipulating individuals to disconnect, no surprise, and she's not happy.

We know how she feels about it and I have had dealings with Kathy True in relation to my daughter at Flag. so I have some empathy for Debbie.

However, I'm sure Debbie, without a doubt, has been involved in her time as an SO member in influencing individuals and business owners to disconnect from disaffected and declared Scientologists. It is in the doctrines of Hubbard and the cult is just following that policy to the letter....

It must be hard when the shoe is on the other foot. Does she reflect on times she had done similar actions to others? What a mind f**k.

 

[Boomima]

Well I'll be damned...thanks a bunch, HH...didn't notice that.

I knew Vaughn...a fine, fine feller...couldn't stop thinking about him today for some reason...irony is so ironically ironic.

Face

I think about his open letter to Mike Rinder every time someone says MR is "brave" for standing up to the CoS.
Yeah, about that...
It must be easier to take on the CoS with the world watching everything that is happening in court.

 

[TG1]

From Exhibit a letter Debbie Cook sent to CoS shortly after her email went public. The letter itself is a must read for anyone following the case IMO.

PDF: Tampabay.com's PDF versions of Debbie Cook's letters

This January 15, 2012, letter from Debbie Cook to Ben Shaw of OSA, written after they started hassling her following her now-famous January 1, 2012, email to thousands of Scientologists, is so important that I have retyped it and pasted the text below.

Debbie's letter essentially says three things to OSA:

1. Leave me and my family alone.
2. This is my affidavit describing all the things you don't ever want me to talk about in public.
3. You people are stupid beyond belief.


Exhibit B

From: Debbie Baumgarten [something blacked out]
To: Kathy True [something blacked out]
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2012 3:24 PM
Subject: comm to OSA

To: Ben Shaw, OSA Int, RTC

My letter to Scientologist friends was sent out to thousands of additional people by someone else. I am also certain at this point that it was Marty and the Independents that worked so hard to get that comm into the press. I steadfastly refused to talk to the press despite non-stop phone calls and reporters showing up at my work. And I wrote that letter to Tampa Bay Times to try and diffuse the situation.

So think about it, is that really the work of someone dedicated to harming the Church?

Think about what I could have done if my actual intentions were to cause real damage. I would have been granting interviews to those reporters flat out. And think about the things I could have told them. I could have told them all about the “hole” with bars on the windows and 24/7 security, not to mention the unbelievably disgusting, inhumane and squirrel things done within that confinement. There were over 100 people in “the hole” when I was there. The entirety of WDC, CMOI and Exec Strata along with numerous Gold execs. It was a true horror story and could cause serious PR ramifications if the truth was known about this without the slightest embellishment.

Or I could talk about the beatings that I personally witnessed, including watching DM punch and wrestle Yager to the ground. I remember DM having Bob Keenen in UK march Guillaume, Heber, Yager out to the freezing water in the lake at St Hill and making them go in. Then there’s the demented name tags he gave people, the pie faces he made top execs wear, the caps with denigrating labels, the darth vader helmet and many other things used to haze and denigrate SO executives. Or I could bring up Mark Ginge Nelson being made to lick the bathroom floor clean at ASI because he dared to say he disagreed with beating other execs or that there is no policy covering “the hole”. These were his “huge crimes” for which he was physically beaten. I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the point by now. There is plenty I could have exposed if I was out to damage the Church. I am not.

However, I see you are up to plenty of under-handed tactics with your lies and black PR. Handing out “Debbie Cook dead agent packs” to the field, having all your little OSA spies passing around messages listing “the suppressive acts Debbie committed”, telling people I am starting a splinter group or that I connected to known declared SPs. That I am an “apostate”, “defector”, etc. Or that my SP declare is on lines and coming down tomorrow or any of the other things I am hearing from Scientologists and the press. Maybe you are declaring me suppressive. That would be a really dumb move for you. But if so, then I would at least expect it to be laid out properly in an issue so I can be shown it and others can see it in writing. Do you remember the policy that “if it isn’t written it isn’t true”? Or how about PR Series 1 – “Never tell lies”. And these pathetic DA attempts in the press are making matters worse PR-wise as they have been grossly overused and misused.

Our clients were contacted and told to disconnect. Now to make matters worse, our families are being messed with. Meanwhile no one has said one word to us. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO ALIENATE ME COMPLETELY?

I put out a simple message to not support anything not covered in tech or policy by L. Ron Hubbard and to go up the Bridge. How is that so horrible and despicable? Oh, I forgot, I dared to challenge DM. My OL is L. Ron Hubbard. Why is it DM can’t come up with one LRH reference to support having to donate yourself into a hole to support the IAS or pay for opulent buildings for every org? Well? Could it be that LRH never directed this? Maybe someone in OSA should look up the SEF advices to see what LRH said about getting Scientologists to donate to things like this. Or how about the BIC advices and what LRH actually said about org buildings. There are some serious policy violations going on. I dared to give a few LRH references. But I am still an important part of the biggest cover up in Scientology history. And for that, I expect a certain quid pro quo. If you expect me to help you cover up actual crimes committed at the Int Base, then I expect that you keep your shit together and not fly off the handle with bizarre lies or manipulations of my family, clients and comm lines because I pointed out a few policy violations. So do it. Get your shit together, collect up all the “DA” packs, cease with the “disconnection” program, leave my family alone and drop it. You expect me to “drop it”. DM ordered one of his staff to smack me to the floor while he watched and another one to break my finger and ordered me to be tortured in the hole for weeks, and I am expected to “drop it”. Well I complained about a couple of policy violations and I expect you to “drop it” as well. Get a grip people. There is much worse out there than Debbie Cook complaining about over-regging. I am helping you cover up some things that were seriously off the rails and could be very damaging PR-wise. I would at least expect you to not antagonize me further with your bullshit.

- Debbie

 

[Jquepublic]

“It's simply about the defendants being required to live up to agreements they made back in 2007. They were made freely and knowingly. The agreements were that they would not disclose information about the church and would not disparage the church,” said George Spencer Jr., representing the church.

And, he told the judge, each of the two had accepted $50,000 from the church as part of the agreement. The church is seeking at least $300,000 in damages from the couple.

Jeffrey, however, told the judge that Cook's signature, and that of her husband on a similar 10-page agreement, were the result of “extreme duress and undue influence,” making the contract unenforceable on numerous grounds.

Ironically, in trying to silence Cook about fairly minor matters, the church inadvertently ungagged her by putting her on the witness stand. And on Thursday, she testified for four hours about bizarre and disturbing practices she claims she both witnessed and suffered.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...in-Scientology-Suit-3199628.php#ixzz1lwRelgFm

 

[DoneDeal]

Incorrect.

Gadfly is correct.

The brand "scientology" has been extremely damaged to the extent
it has been compared unfavourably to Al-queda, by poll in the US.

Good.

This court hearing has already demonstrated that this is primarily down to a psychopath.

No...it's the stupid subject matter.

The subject and philosophy may from here have a chance of recovering at least somewhat.

It's garbage man.....think...and get a new hat.

 

[GreyLensman]

Be assured that even more idiotic things are to come.

I wonder why they haven't yet ordered mandatory attendance to a "crusade" protest outside the courthouse.

Scientologists are easily stupid enough to drop what they are doing and fly to Texas and march around with standard party placards.

It actually is a huge tell that they did not order a crusade. If they had any case or did not want to hide the facts from Scientologists there would be a thousand Scientologists right now, marching in formation and singing "We Shall Overwhelm".

good point. No mandatory crusade presence? WTF?

God, I hated that. Truly hated it. I booked a flight I couldn't afford for myself and my wife and got to the airport within half an hour of the Portland verdict because I could just see the bastards keeping us there another two or three weeks.

 

[Lulu Belle]

Ironically, in trying to silence Cook about fairly minor matters, the church inadvertently ungagged her by putting her on the witness stand. And on Thursday, she testified for four hours about bizarre and disturbing practices she claims she both witnessed and suffered.

 

[Free to shine]

I like to collect comments. These are from Village Voice.

Rolotomasii
Thank you. I was so taken aback to see her linking to this nonsense - I almost wanted to link her to the South Park episode that exposes these cons for the frauds they are but am well aware of the Fair Game bullying crap these cowards throw at people who dare speak up - like this poor woman (regardless of her beliefs) in Texas and her husband.

I am a devote Catholic but felt no fear of speaking out against my church and my faith for the unspeakable crimes committed by the pedophile priests. In fact, when I questioned a Catholic priest I am friendly with, he welcomed the challenge and did not make excuses for the failings of the church. I was recently in attendance at a Catholic symposium where believers and non believes debated the existence of God. The debate was spirited but respectful and the assembled audience's applause were equally loud for both sides. I left with a profound appreciation and renewed certainty for my faith and profound respect for those who differ with my beliefs. Imagine what horrors await one who questions the CO$? Confess your crimes? What crimes, having free will and free thought and the ability to question and challenge faith? That is not a crime, but an inalienable human right.

My brother is an avowed atheist yet he is my brother and I love him and respect his beliefs or lack thereof. What faith would order someone to disconnect from family who do not share one's beliefs? Question that faith, question that reason for disconnect. The answer can only lead to one place - Paranoid Control. Mindless slavery to some lie.

When I have questioned my faith, it leads me to an appreciation of God and an understanding that mankind, while inherently good, is flawed and can never be perfect, but can strive, through simply being a decent person to one another, some form of perfection on this earth.

I feel for those who search for some reason to fill some void in their life and they find this monstrous lie - I analogize it to the runaway who heads to LA to find stardom and ends up with meth mouth doing dime store porno.

TonyOrtega
I have a gigantic gaming laptop which is like carrying around a small refrigerator. I also have a smartphone that I was actually using for the updates in the first half of the day, and taking photos with. And I have a flip camera, which I haven't whipped out yet. After lunch, as I struggled to do much with my phone a couple that reads this blog offered to give me a hot spot for my laptop in the courtroom! That's why I was able to produce so much more in the second half. Great folks!

Myriam_Breitman
"Scientology's attorney, Spencer, tried to get the judge to scuttle Jeffrey's opening statement because it would violate the agreements! "

I can't believe the Scientology lawyer managed to argue something so stupid with a straight face.

Guest
Jeffrey: "Ms. Cook was beaten. She was tortured. She was degraded beyond belief. She was made to watch the torture and beatings and degradation of others. And not just one or two. She was confined in inhuman conditions...they signed this agreement just to get away."

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!

Aragorn_ii
Can you imagine one of the lawyers toadies running off to report to Miscavige? "Well it's going ok except Mike and Marty are there" !SLAP! "So is Tobin and Childs" !KICK! "And Tony Ortega..

Guest
While waiting for the latest update, I remembered that I cried, too, when leaving the Sea Org. I felt I had failed, but I also felt scientology had failed, and I cried for the death of what for me was a grand hope and fanatastical dream. That was way back in the 80's.

Scientology has already been tried by it's own people and found guilty of fraud. I think about all these familiar people, faces in this courtroom today and wonder if they are asking the same question as I am, as thousands of others are too: When will the abuse and crimes end once and for all?

Guest
This is absolutely IT. I even today feel sorry for the characters inside the fcourtroom, who only cried when it affected themselves personally, and their families personally, and who did and say Nothing while thousands persons and families were subjected to even worse under their roof, in their time, perched high above the weeping children.

The end will come when laws are established similar to the ones Senator Xenophon and his team in Australia are working on, and on. The tyranny and torture of scientology cannot be allowed to happen again, under any name or cause.

Jefferson Hawkins
What Debbie says is so true - when you are in that position (and I have been there), you will sign anything to get out of there. It's you, a single individual, against a roomful of OSA executives, lawyers and Security Guards. You don't have any advocate there or any legal representation. It's all the power of Scientology against one single person. You just want one thing, to get the hell out of there, to get free.

Ivy Mapother
A line from the San Antonio Express News: "Spencer also told Tanner that the disturbing allegations being raised by Jeffrey were irrelevant and should not even be heard in open court."
Not fake, not false, not lies...just irrelevant. Signing a binding contract after being kidnapped and tortured is irrelevant. With that type of logic, Scientology now makes complete sense.

 

[Dean Blair]

It's a good thing L. Ron Hubbard is dead.
Otherwise he might be the next one dragged into court instead of Miscavige.

Hi Davey.
Enjoying the show?








Also, nice job OSA
******************

OSA training film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLyR8b6kTbA&feature=related

If Hubbard was still alive he might have been put into the Magnolia Manor with all the rest of the old timers. He was quite decrepit at the end of his life.

 

[GreyLensman]

Well, that's as I thought...no attorney would take a case on contingency
that he saw as not having a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

On the the other hand, at $650/hr, they sure as hell have an incentive to
drag this on as long as possible! If they rack up enough hours...and are
so impressed by the integrity, the abilities, the dedication of their cult clients,
that may decide to step up and do their bit in "Clearing the Planet".
They may choose to join the SeaOrg; or at the very least, use some
of their mega earnings to sign up for some really super duper auditing!
Cult Reges take note....get their phone numbers asap...these lawyer
guys may be really hot prospects!

Or they could take a part ownership of the controlling corporation - kind of like Earle Cooley and the IRS agreement...

God this organization just pisses me off. It is so pleasurable to see them completely exposed and defending the undefendable in the cold light of day.

I hope Miscavige gets served, that would just be awesome. But maybe just the longterm rise of bloodpressure will be enough to kick the dwarf over the edge.

 

[elwood]

There is no way the cult's lawyers could have foreseen what happened in court today. Wouldn't you love to have been there for the meeting today between the cult and their lawyers after what transpired in court? The thread title is Debbie Cook's Trial, but it's looking a lot like the Cult's Trial.