One word ARROGANT that is why the Watchtower lost.
They think a jury is like their closed door kangaroo court judicial committees.
Lot more juries in your future Watchtower.
Candace Conti v. Watchtower Society - Closing Argument by WTBTS Attorney
by jwleaks 84 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Mary
The Jehovah's Witnesses Church is not the Catholic Church, that it has had verdict after verdict after verdict over the years. It's been in the press. We are all aware of it. This is the first verdict that the Jehovah's Witnesses church has faced. So, again, it is not the Catholic Church with multitudes of cases over a couple of decades.
Something tells me, a statment like this probably didn't go over too well with the jury as though the Borganization is somehow "better" than the Catholic Church, even though they've committed the exact same crime as them. Not sure what the hell he's basing that on, other than his own warped sense of importance and very vivid imagination. And perhaps Mr. Schnack should try reading the Society's own website where they admit that they HAVE been successfully sued in the past for their stand on protecting peophiles. In case he can't find the link, here it is: http://www.jw-media.org/gbl/20071121.htm
The arrogance of these idiots continues to boggle the mind............
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Refriedtruth
The Watchtower knows they are guilty and have been ramping up for possible lawsuits years ahead.
I have been out since 1992,but I do remember the 1988 BOE letter regarding 'legal clarification' back then I was in the clique at the Rockland Massachusetts Kingdom hall and it was revealed to me that "the elders have to be very careful what they say as the [quote]" society is being bombarded with lawsuits." [unquote]
The congregation overseer would sleazy 'mealy-mouth' always framing statements in the form of a question like a jeopardy game show contestant.This was so to diminish his accountability by not being able to pin him down on anything specific.
They are evil and know exactly what they are doing when they screw you over ahead of time and get all lawyer-ed up for it.I always wondered about all the constant chatter back in the 80's 90's on the supposed evil apostates nipping at the societys heels filing all kinds of lawsuits.
There were NO 'apostates suing anybody' this was all Watchtower hate hysteria to scare off anybody who was thinking of going after them.They are in deep bleep because this is now 2012 Armageddon is no where in sight to deliver them.They are going to have to face the music.The Watchtower is run by psychopaths.
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wasblind
Remember the March 23, 1992 letter? Several references there that the elders in the congregation should be conscious of victims of abuse, treat them with thoroughness and kindness, that you should be tenderly compassionate to them.
It also says in that same letter:
"If a current case of child abuse comes to light in the congregation, the elders should do what they can to protect the children from further abuse. These policies are evolving as we go forward."
In evidence was the August 1, 1995 letter. There it says:
"Steps should be taken to protect the child or other children from further sexual abuse once abuse became apparent."
The elders, too, wanted to act -- should act in a way that demonstrates their protective care since the word "overseer" as that's used within the church, carries the thought of one who watches over in guarding and shepherding the flock.
In that same letter, the August 1, 1995 letter that you had in evidence and that you had in the room with you, it also says on the first page that:
"It would be appropriate to talk very frankly with the abuser that he should never be in the presence of a child without another adult being present."
And just one last one here this morning. The March 14, 1997 All Bodies of Elders Letter that was before you. That addressed the issue of when a member moves from one congregation to another. And if that member is known to be a child molester, that letter directed the elders in the local congregations to:
"Outline his background, including any needs for cautions that should be provided to the body of elders."
That letter would be presented to the congregation to which that person would move. And so, again, that's taking steps to help prevent child abuse.
Mr. Shuster also testified, when he was up on the stand, that the church has a long history, since he has been an elder, since '79, that child abusers cannot be appointed to serve as elders, as ministerial servants or pioneers.
That was reiterated in the March 14, 1997 that I just referenced.
The policy of Watchtower has continued to emerge on a case-by-case basis in which the Service Department elders sent letters to the local congregations, to the local elders to strongly warn, if they have a known child abuser within their congregation, that he should not be alone with children, and how the elders can deal with that if the member that is an abuser violates those instructions.
Lord knows, I ain't no lawyer , but this whole section seem to work against the WTS
It shows they are aware of the dangers and yet does not lay out a firm course of action to stop the perps.
I hope the jury knows that all JW's are considered " ORDAINED MINISTERS " at baptism
and the fact that he was not disfellowshipped means he was still a minister in association
wit the WTS
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OnTheWayOut
Remember the March 23, 1992 letter? Several references there that the elders in the congregation should be conscious of victims of abuse, treat them with thoroughness and kindness, that you should be tenderly compassionate to them.
Such bullshilt! When the letter says one thing, but your verbal instructions when they immediately call Bethel Legal say another thing, the letter flies out the window. I imagine the jury saw right through that. These guys are all about the act being a sin, and evidence for or lack of evidence for proving the act took place. They are not about victims and compassion.
Ordinary people on a jury probably see the best thing to do would be to not ever have children out in recruiting.
This is the first verdict that the Jehovah's Witnesses church has faced. So, again, it is not the Catholic Church with multitudes of cases over a couple of decades."Ya.... Watchtower knows better and usually settles it's multitudes of cases.....
Thank you for saying that, BalaamsAss.
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james_woods
Kind of weird - it was almost as if he was saying: Yes, we used to have a pro-pedophile policy, but we are changing that. So you should have pity on us because at least we are not the Catholic Church.
Weird.
I think this guy was over-matched.
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breakfast of champions
The policies of Watchtower continue to evolve.
. . . as well as their blood doctrine, generation doctrine, whacky interpretation of 'prophecy'. . .
For folks who don't believe in evolution, they've got enough of it going on! One day, they may even 'evolve' enough that they can join the rest of the human race.
Probably not.
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life is to short
All the stuff I went through happened 2006-2011 well after all the dates the WT attorney spitted out in his closing arguments.
One child molester moved into the hall in April of 2006, the elders did not get any of his records from his previous hall until well after July of 2006 about four months after he had moved in. All that time he was integrating himself into the hall making everyone in the congregation think he was a great guy. He was becoming very well liked by everyone. When I told the elders I knew for a fact that he was a pedophile I was yelled at, accused of lying and hung up on the phone, etc by the elders. One elder told me if it was true the previous would have for sure have sent something on him sooner then they had so I had to be lying.
When I got the PUBLIC court records myself to prove the the elders that I was not lying and the court records said he was an incurable sexual psychopath highly likely to re-offend only the CoBE would take a copy, NONE OF THE OTHER ELDERS would touch them. The CoBE and another elder sat at my dinning room table and told me that I had way to much heavy information that I had no business to know. When I told the two elders it was all PUBLIC they were still very pissed at me.
I then went to the police to get the PUBLIC police records as that is the only way to get them where I live. One of the police officers I spoke to read the court records and was appalled that my elders would not even read the court records. This police officer was blown away that this guy was allowed to go door to door. The office told me and to quote him that "I was spot on in thinking that this guy was a danger to children even if as the my elders claimed that it was way back in 1972 and if my church leaders were not keeping him in check then I needed to find a new church to attended."
Yet just as with the court records it was the same as with the police records NONE OF THE ELDERS WOULD TOUCH them. Neither of the two CO's or the DO would take them either.
So I sent copies of the records to Bethel, nothing was done. So I sent copies to all the GB to let them know that if a child was molested it would be on their heads. I sent everything with proof of receipt so I have records that they received them. Even the GB having the records this child molester was still going door to door and no one in the hall was allowed to know he was a pedophile. This guy went out in service with anyone that the CoBE thought was mature in the hall which meant ones who were sightly slow mentally that go to the hall. How would someone who is not that bright and who does not know that the person they are going door to door with is a pedophile, how is that person going to protect a CHILD! Yet the CoBE told me he was and to quote him "following what the slave told him to do, and that he was in direct contact with Bethel over this." This conversation happened in the parking lot of the KH so I said loudly so others could hear, "so you are telling me that the slave told you to send a serial rapist door to door?" The CoBE threw up his hands up at me and stormed into the hall.
Even with all of this happening starting in 2006 the body of elders let this pedophile hold a baby show with his wife in Feb of 2009.
Another pedophile in the hall mentored a boy the age of nine until he was about 11 or 12, this pedophile had a sleep over in his back yard and also took care of the boy he mentored little sister who was mentally handicapped at the meetings, taking the little girl outside and into the back room ALONE! All with again the approval of the elders. After I totally flipped out over it one of the CO's told me OK that the elders had made some mistakes.
OK so all of this happened in 2006 until 2011 if it has even stopped now as I do not attend anymore so it could still be going on.
That closing argument makes me sick.LITS
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james_woods
Speaking of child abuse issues - I see that the University of Pennsylvania has quietly taken down the statue of Joe Paterno which was in front of their stadium this morning.
The news media caught up with them on it and are reporting it now.
No matter how famous you are, or how big you are, when this stuff gets public display the organizations that try to hide it get burned.
Joe Paterno went in one winter from being one of the most respected persons in college football to being one of the worst.
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St George of England
I think this guy was over-matched.
Do the WTS lawyers ever get to work on 'real' i.e. non-WTS cases? Their experience could be sadly lacking, and this appears to be the case here.
George