Need info on Lawsuits that the WTBTS has lost.

by Trauma_Hound 7 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Trauma_Hound

  I just shocked the hell out of my grandma, I sent her an e-mail copy of Bowens e-mail about being sent on the WTBS tab. She basically called it all lies, I showed her sources, and basically told her, if she continues to support pedophiles like this, she will never see her grandchildren by me, because I will not have the exposed to a damaging religion like this. She e-mailed me back, and said the WTBS has never lost a lawsuit. My Grandfather is an elder and she claims he's never been on a judicial comittee where a molestor was involved. Though what he tells her I don't know, she's got a reputation for being a gosiper. So what I need is any info on lawsuits the wtbs has lost.

  Thanks

  Charlie
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  WildHorses

  TH, try this site http://www.rickross.com/groups/witness.html scroll down to, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Courts. There is also a section on Sexual Abuse that stats law suits.

  I type in watchtower loses law suit and got this page with lots of links. http://www.google.com/search?q=watchtower+loses+law+suit

  I'd go through them but I am sitting here fighting to keep my eyes open and need to get to bed. To many late nights this week I guess.

  Hope you find what you need.
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  Trauma_Hound

  BTTT!
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  Trauma_Hound

  BTTT!
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  expatbrit

  Try finding info on these:
  
  Charles Russell v. Brooklyn Daily Eagle

  In 1911 Charles Russell very foolishly and naively allowed two of his followers to persuade him that they had found a farmer who grew "miracle wheat" (wheat that produced a much greater yield than any other variety). The Watchtower Society received 30 bushels of this wheat to be sold at one dollar per pound as seed grain. The sale gained the Society about $1800 dollars (a very substantial sum in those days). Subsequently a New York newspaper, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, lampooned Russell and his "miracle wheat" in a cartoon. Whereupon Russell sued the newspaper—and LOST the case.

  Olin R. Moyle v. Watchtower Headquarters Staff

  In 1943 Olin Moyle sued the leading members of the Society’s headquarters staff for LIBEL. Moyle had been a loyal Jehovah’s Witness for many years and had even defended the Witnesses in some court cases. But on July 21, 1939 Moyle sent Rutherford an open letter of resignation. In this letter he accused Rutherford and some of his associates of excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, improper conduct and low morals. In addition he specifically accused Rutherford of outbursts of anger, discrimination and vulgar language. In The Watchtower of October 15, 1939 Rutherford attacked Moyle publicly, in print. Rutherford wrote concerning Moyle’s letter, "The letter, being filled with false, slanderous and libelous statements... the writer of that letter... identifies himself as one who speaks evil against the Lord’s organization... every paragraph of that letter is false, filled with lies, and is a wicked slander and a libel." Interestingly, when Moyle sued the Watchtower leaders in court over Rutherford’s scurrilous Watchtower article—he WON, and the court awarded him damages of $15,000 (equal to about $200,000 in today’s currency).

  Expatbrit
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  Gerard

  http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jehovahs/berryjehov80801.pdf

  Holly Berry and Heather Berry

  vs.

  Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of N.Y.Inc, Wilton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Paul Berry

  "Paul Berry is a convicted felon and has history of sexual and physical abuse of children under his care..." "Defendant Berry was ultimately convicted of 17 counts of sexual abuse and was sentenced to a prison term of 56 years."
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  mustang

  T-H,
  

  This may not count: they ORIGINALLY lost a landmark Supreme Court (U.S.) case around WW2. It was about flag salute or such. I believe that Da Judge did the defense, overrode the normal counsel and decided to SERMONIZE the High Judges, rather than stick to the matter at hand. The Justices weren't impressed.

  There was a lot of persecution from the decision, basically due to overzealous patriotism. This caused the Supreme Court to rethink this and REVERSE it later. WTS exponent's will claim it was JHVH, but it was really American fair-play and re-thinking along the lines of Civil Rights violations.

  If the original arguments had been done in a professional manner and stuck to the way the legal system works, the unnecessary violence would not have occurred. Certainly the HOLY SPIRIT was not blessing this stupidity.

  I have a book with a commentary on this; I will dig it out this weekend.

  Mustang

  All that I write or utter is protected by religious freedom under the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as the "free exercise" and "freedom of speech" clauses.

  edited "next year" to "later"; see below v
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  mustang

  Minersville School District vs. Gobitis (1940) was heard by the US Supreme Court. This was the basic flag-salute case.
  

  The loss is described in "Church, State and the Constitution" by George Goldberg (1987, ISBN 0-89526-794-2 347-302852 Publisher: Regnery Gateway):

  "In the Supreme Court, briefs urging affirmance were filed on behalf of the Gobitis children by the ACLU and the Bill of Rights Committee of the American Bar Association, but the case continued to be handled directly by the Witnesses’ legal department. They had after all, already won two rounds of the legal battle without a single dissent. But a power struggle within the Witness leadership led to the dismissal of the lawyer who had successfully guided their efforts to the District and Circuit courts. The case was taken over by a national leader of the Witnesses who was a member of the bar but who was far more interested in the Word than in the law-or the Gobitis children. At oral argument in the Supreme Court he treated the Justices to a theological tirade which quite alienated them and in general abandoned the legal strategies which had worked so well for his predecessor."

  Obviously, the WTS lost; it was an 8 to 1 decision. Several years of UNNECESSARY rioting and violence against JW’s followed.

  The next major case on this subject was West Virginia State Bd. of Ed. v. Barnette (1943). This case went to the US Supreme Court after a loss by the West Virginia side was appealed. During this case, the SC referred back to the Gobitis case and upheld the Barnette win, six to three. This effectively reversed the Gobitis case.

  Technically, the Gobitis case was never won; but the "merits" and the Constitutional rights were ultimately recognized by the Court in the later case. This was partly due to the extreme misbehavior of the populace in the interim and the "prevailing of cooler heads" in regarding the true considerations of justice.

  Mustang

  All that I write or utter is protected by religious freedom under the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as the "free exercise" and "freedom of speech" clauses.