Jourles, you asked; "For Kimberly -- Is only the WT of PA listed in this suit? What would happen if the WT of PA filed for bankruptcy? Are the other WT corporations still culpable for WT of PA?"
I'm not Kimberlee, but I'll try to answer your questions.
The first question, "Is only the WT of PA listed in this suit?" No, the WT of PA is not the only defendant listed in this suit, if by suit you mean the CHARISSA W. and NICOLE D suit? This is the "so-called lead case" in a number of lawsuits from different CA counties which were coordinated and now pending in Napa County. I have a copy of the CHARISSA Complaint and this is how it reads:
CHARISSA W. and NICOLE D.,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC., WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA, WATCHTOWER ENTERPRISES, L.L.C., WATCHTOWER FOUNDATION, INC., WATCHTOWER ASSOCIATES, LTD., KINGDOM SUPPORT SERVICES, INC., CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, RELIGIOUS ORDER OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, NAPA KINGDOM HALL now doing business as NAPA CONGREGATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES - JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES OAK KNOLL CONGREGATION and JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES SILVERADO CONGREGATION, and DOES 1 through 20, inclusive.
Defendants.
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In the CHARISSA W case, on the cover sheet of RULING ON SUBMITTED MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS which GRANTED Plaintiff's motion to compel production of documents, the plaintiffs and defendants are listed this way:
CHARISSA W., et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, et al.
Defendants
Black's Law Dictionary explains "et al." thusly: "Where the words "et al." are used in a judgment against defendants, the quoted words INCLUDE ALL DEFENDANTS.
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Your second question: "What would happen if the WT of PA filed for bankruptcy? Are the other WT corporations still culpable for WT of PA?"
Yes, because all of them are listed as Defendants. In addition, I have a copy of the original Watch Tower of Pennsylvania Charter (1884) and a copy of the paperwork each time the charter was amended. This material will shed some light upon the situation if WT of PA goes bankrupt.
In November of 1994, Watch Tower of PA filed papers to amend its articles. The pertinent new article that will answer your question is Article XI:
In the event of the dissolution of this corporation, the assets thereof shall not inure to the benefit of any individual, whether director, officer or member of this corporation, but upon any such dissolution, the assets of this corporation shall only be transferred to WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC., a nonprofit corporation, organized and operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC., is not then in existence and exempt under Section 501 (c)(3), then said assets shall be distributed by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses to another organization which is organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes and which has established its tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In any event, the assets of this corporation are irrevocably dedicated to its stated religious purposes. No part of its net income will inure to the benefit of any member, director or officer of the corporation or any private individual; it will not, as a substantial part of its activities, attempt to influence legislation; it will not participate to any extent in a political campaign for or against any candidate for public office.
In 1999, the Watch Tower of PA Charter was again amended. The above Article XI became the NINTH Article which reads:
Upon winding up and dissolution of the corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be transferred to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. If the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., is not then in existence and a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 505 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code, then the remaining assets shall be distributed to any organization designated by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses that is organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, and/or charitable purposes and is a corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
RESOLVED, that Articles Tenth and Eleventh of the Amended and Restated Charter be repealed in their entirety.
In this Amended and Restated Charter of 1999, part of the previous XI Article (1994) can be found in a Restated EIGHTH Article.
The last Amended and Restated Charter is dated, April 8, 2003. In it, the NINTH Article remains the same as above stated in the 1999 version.
I hope this information has satisfactorily answered your questions.
Barbara
