Settlement Reached in Former Member’s Suit Against Church of Scientology

[triumph]

Laura Ann DeCrescenzo
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Settlement Reached in Former Member’s Suit Against Church of Scientology
Posted by Contributing Editor on July 23, 2018 in Crime | 5 Views | Leave a response
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Lawyers for the Church of Scientology and a former member settled a lawsuit she filed nearly a decade ago, in which she alleged she was forced to work long hours before she was a teen and was coerced to have an abortion at age 17, lawyers for the parties told a judge Monday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Mooney met with the attorneys for the church and plaintiff Laura Ann DeCrescenzo in chambers, then announced from the bench that the upcoming Aug. 13 first phase of trial was vacated in light of the settlement.
Lawyers for both sides confirmed outside the courtroom that a resolution was reached, but they declined further comment.
The church was a defendant in the suit along with its Religious Technology Center. The suit’s allegations included forced abortion, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, unfair business practices and wage and hour violations.
Although now-retired Judge Ronald Sohigian previously dismissed the case, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed his decision in June 2011 and sent the case back to the judge to determine whether the church was permitted to raise the statute of limitations as a defense.

more@link
https://mynewsla.com/crime/2018/07/...r-members-suit-against-church-of-scientology/

 

[Clay Pigeon]

What was the amount specified in the suit?

 

[FoTi]

I hope we will find out what the settlement was. I hope they don't silence her with it.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

She's muzzled, of course...

But what was the price in the suit?

I'd have to believe CoS could have been pressed to pay at least full price to avoid trial and there's got to be no way she would take less than 90%

 

[triumph]

Washington Post
Church of Scientology, former member settle long lawsuit
by Associated Press July 23 at 9:39 PM

LOS ANGELES — The Church of Scientology and one of its former members have settled a lawsuit she filed nearly a decade ago alleging she was forced to work long hours as a pre-teen and was coerced to have an abortion at 17.
Judge Mark Mooney met privately Monday with attorneys for the church and plaintiff Laura Ann DeCrescenzo and then announced the settlement in court. Trial was scheduled to begin Aug. 13.
John Blumberg, an attorney for DeCrescenzo, says terms of the deal are confidential. Attorneys for Scientology didn’t return calls seeking comment.
The church was a defendant along with its Religious Technology Center. The allegations included forced abortion, false imprisonment and unfair business practices.
Blumberg says the defendants’ lawyers’ actions indicated that they didn’t want the case to go trial.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...1880eac5f1d_story.html?utm_term=.6b66375f9b1f

Associated Press Story Is being picked up

Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/23/church-scientology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit.html

The Eagle
https://www.theeagle.com/news/natio...cle_ef9a7e45-5fba-5b49-b86e-87313295e055.html

Seattle PI
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

LMT online
https://www.lmtonline.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

WRAL.com
https://www.wral.com/church-of-scientology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit/17716464/
Beaumont
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...tology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit.html

News Times
https://www.newstimes.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

She's muzzled, of course...

But what was the price in the suit?

I'd have to believe CoS could have been pressed to pay at least full price to avoid trial and there's got to be no way she would take less than 90%

There is no "price" in a lawsuit.

There may be a claimed amount but that doesn't determine what the settlement amount is. The settlement could be 10% of the claimed damages or 10,000% percent more.

It's whatever the parties agree to.

It's always interesting to watch the COS play hardball in all these cases, spending tens of millions (essentially) bluffing and stalling and trying to collapse the financial resources and determination of the plaintive and their respective lawyers. Then......

Then if the lawsuit is still going to go to trial despite a decade or decades of delay/obfuscation and gaming the legal system, the COS just reaches in its piggy bank and takes 7 seconds to write a check to make it all go away. And it's not their money anyways, its fraudulently obtained money from stupid parishioners who think they are saving the planet or some other unhinged delusion.

Scientology is in a no-lose situation (until now) with that religious get out of jail card and mega cash reserves accumulated since 1950 when Hubbard first dreamed up this international hoax. He set up reserve funds since forever preparing for his escape and burned through over a hundred million of it when the civil and criminal wheels of justice started catching up with him over the last couple decades of his life.

People going clear? No. People going OT? No. People becoming more ethical? No, LOL. It's just people deluding themselves, some of them having fancied case "gains" and the other half having real financial "gains".

 

[Type4_PTS]

Washington Post
Church of Scientology, former member settle long lawsuit
by Associated Press July 23 at 9:39 PM

LOS ANGELES — The Church of Scientology and one of its former members have settled a lawsuit she filed nearly a decade ago alleging she was forced to work long hours as a pre-teen and was coerced to have an abortion at 17.
Judge Mark Mooney met privately Monday with attorneys for the church and plaintiff Laura Ann DeCrescenzo and then announced the settlement in court. Trial was scheduled to begin Aug. 13.
John Blumberg, an attorney for DeCrescenzo, says terms of the deal are confidential. Attorneys for Scientology didn’t return calls seeking comment.
The church was a defendant along with its Religious Technology Center. The allegations included forced abortion, false imprisonment and unfair business practices.
Blumberg says the defendants’ lawyers’ actions indicated that they didn’t want the case to go trial.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...1880eac5f1d_story.html?utm_term=.6b66375f9b1f

Associated Press Story Is being picked up

Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/23/church-scientology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit.html

The Eagle
https://www.theeagle.com/news/natio...cle_ef9a7e45-5fba-5b49-b86e-87313295e055.html

Seattle PI
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

LMT online
https://www.lmtonline.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

WRAL.com
https://www.wral.com/church-of-scientology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit/17716464/
Beaumont
https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...tology-former-member-settle-long-lawsuit.html

News Times
https://www.newstimes.com/news/us/a...tology-former-member-settle-long-13098935.php

Add the New York Times to that list!
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/07/23/us/ap-us-scientology-lawsuit.html

 

[Clay Pigeon]

There is no "price" in a lawsuit.

There may be a claimed amount but that doesn't determine what the settlement amount is. The settlement could be 10% of the claimed damages or 10,000% percent more.

It's whatever the parties agree to.

It's always interesting to watch the COS play hardball in all these cases, spending tens of millions (essentially) bluffing and stalling and trying to collapse the financial resources and determination of the plaintive and their respective lawyers. Then......

Then if the lawsuit is still going to go to trial despite a decade or decades of delay/obfuscation and gaming the legal system, the COS just reaches in its piggy bank and takes 7 seconds to write a check to make it all go away. And it's not their money anyways, its fraudulently obtained money from stupid parishioners who think they are saving the planet or some other unhinged delusion.

Scientology is in a no-lose situation (until now) with that religious get out of jail card and mega cash reserves accumulated since 1950 when Hubbard first dreamed up this international hoax. He set up reserve funds since forever preparing for his escape and burned through over a hundred million of it when the civil and criminal wheels of justice started catching up with him over the last couple decades of his life.

People going clear? No. People going OT? No. People becoming more ethical? No, LOL. It's just people deluding themselves, some of them having fancied case "gains" and the other half having real financial "gains".

And if it goes to court the award the award can be 10% or 10000%

I'd still like to know what suit asked for as a clue to the settlement


No "OT's"?

Keep your eyes on the American League pennant race...

Aye laddie, there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip...

I can't guarantee results but the crosshairs were set before the World Series last year and the arc of the arrow's flight is true so far...

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

And if it goes to court the award the award can be 10% or 10000%

I'd still like to know what suit asked for as a clue to the settlement

what the suit "asked for" is no clue to the settlement.

trust me, the lawsuit is just a piece of paper.

the settlement is what happened after a decade of paper.

paper = negotiation

settlement = money

 

[Clay Pigeon]

well...

the settlement has to be eight figures anyway...

 

[CommunicatorIC]

Life News: Church of Scientology Settles Lawsuit With Woman Who Says It Forced Her to Have Abortion.

http://www.lifenews.com/2018/07/24/...oman-who-says-it-forced-her-to-have-abortion/

Micaiah Bilger, the author of story, goes beyond the AP report, adding:

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Other former Scientologists also have accused the group of forced or coerced abortions. In 2015, LifeNews reported former Scientologist Samantha Domingo said she and other women were treated like “criminals” when they became pregnant and wanted to keep their babies. She said the religious leaders eventually succeeded in manipulating and coercing her to abort her unborn child.

“I bought into it. I had an abortion to prove I wasn’t this evil person, this Satan that everybody was saying I was,” Domingo said.

Domingo said she can never forgive herself for killing her baby.

“I murdered a child, that’s the way I look at it, and it will forever live with me that I murdered a child. I will never forgive myself for that, I will never be able to rewrite it,” she said.

In 2016, former member Claire Headley told documentarian Leah Remini a similar story. Headley said she and other women she knew were forced or coerced into having abortions — and one woman had six. She and her husband, Marc, another former Scientologist, said they both were abused by the religious leaders and later left the religion.

“It’s a heavily guarded property, and a lot of secrecy and a lot of control.… You’re not allowed to make phone calls without permission or someone listening.… People would escape frequently,” she recalled.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

 

[HelluvaHoax!]

well...

the settlement has to be eight figures anyway...

Absolutely!

As a matter of fact, one of my inside sources leaked to me the amount. . .

(and you're correct, it was 8 figures!): $ 00.099999

The COS will be announcing this at the IAS event this coming weekend, already promoting a mystery-teaser that it is an--

"Unprecedented Orders of Magnitude
4th Dynamic Win on this Planet!"
​

And the IAS will unveil an upgraded Ideal Admin Scale, topped by an all-new-and-improved Scriptural SuperSlogan[sup]tm[/sup].

​

"Not One Thin Dime For
Any of Our Crime!"

.​

 

[Type4_PTS]

well...

the settlement has to be eight figures anyway...

CoS couldn't risk letting this case go to trial.

It would have resulted in Highest Ever Bad PR. And a jury may have awarded 9 figures in punitive damages!

It was an absolutely NO WIN situation for CoS. Even had they won in the courtroom the bad PR would have been devastating.

Perhaps they learned a lesson from that Debbie Cook hearing some years ago.

 

[CommunicatorIC]

ABC 7 Video and Text: Scientology settles 'forced abortion' lawsuit out of court

https://abc7.com/society/scientology-settles-forced-abortion-lawsuit-out-of-court/3812446/

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

DeCrescenzo married another member of the Sea Org at 16 and became pregnant at 17. In her lawsuit, she says she endured days of intense pressure by her Scientology supervisor to abort the baby. DeCrescenzo says the supervisor told her it was for the "greatest good" to abort the baby. DeCrescenzo gave in, despite her longing for a child. Scientology acknowledges that church policy prohibits active members from the Sea Org from having young children. But, they insist DeCrescenzo could have walked away at any time.

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *

 

[CommunicatorIC]

The YouTube video for the ABC 7 Laura DeCrescenzo story is up: Scientology settles 'forced abortion' lawsuit out of court.

 

[Leland]

Great for her!

Long fight!! A heroic fight!

Too bad if settlement details are muzzled....IMO

 

[Clay Pigeon]

CoS couldn't risk letting this case go to trial.

It would have resulted in Highest Ever Bad PR. And a jury may have awarded 9 figures in punitive damages!

It was an absolutely NO WIN situation for CoS. Even had they won in the courtroom the bad PR would have been devastating.

Perhaps they learned a lesson from that Debbie Cook hearing some years ago.

I doubt it would have topped Lisa for bad PR

In fact, I believe "the powers that be" who dominate the media and do not utterly control but do have alarmingly great influence over what the general public gets fed in terms of information and have IMHO a strong "prochoice" bias pulled the strings necessary to have the trial scheduled in "silly season" as August is colloquially termed in journalism because they wanted as little attention as possible on such a strongly "prolife" lawsuit. Haven't you noticed how very little media attention Laura has received all along?

Of course I am a psychiatrically certified paranoid, aren't I?

Hey!

That's a well respected certificate in some circles...

But even with media bias in their favor CoS was probably willing to pay more than they paid to avoid a trial which might even have smoked out Davy for deposition

 

[Clay Pigeon]

The YouTube video for the ABC 7 Laura DeCrescenzo story is up: Scientology settles 'forced abortion' lawsuit out of court.

Yeah...

ABC 7 gave her 44 seconds...

I hope all you good folk will keep us posted on Laura's media...