My point is it was never that Watchtower considers Elders as a clergy class but the laws fo the land that defines what is considered a minister and what is considered confidential information.
Richard Oliver
JoinedPosts by Richard Oliver
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
Richard Oliver
Watchtower has always considered Elders as layman. It is the law that considers them as ministers when it comes to confidentiality and Priest-Penitent Privilege. Just like how Watchtower views themselves as a congregational religion but the law considers them as a hierarchical religion.
-
90
Day 5 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Ends: Plaintiff settles in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by darkspilver inday 5 in court - and apparently the plaintiff stephanie fessler has decided to settle..... http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/jehovahs_witness_sexual_abuse.html.
jehovah's witness sexual-abuse-coverup lawsuit settled.
february 13, 2017 at 2:37 pm, updated february 13, 2017 at 2:44 pm.
-
-
Richard Oliver
This was in no way a quick case. The complaint was filed in 2013. Watchtower probably did offer a monetary settlement right away to get it off their books and not have to deal with legal costs. There was an appeal in that took up a lot of time for a change in venue. Even though Watchtower has in-house attorney's there is still a cost associated with it. It also takes away from resources that they want to use those attorneys for other matters. It is a cost-benefit analysis, that make defendants offer a monetary settlement to get it off their books.
-
90
Day 5 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Ends: Plaintiff settles in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by darkspilver inday 5 in court - and apparently the plaintiff stephanie fessler has decided to settle..... http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/jehovahs_witness_sexual_abuse.html.
jehovah's witness sexual-abuse-coverup lawsuit settled.
february 13, 2017 at 2:37 pm, updated february 13, 2017 at 2:44 pm.
-
-
Richard Oliver
There was no claim that any sexual abuse occurred at any point during actual Watchtower or Congregation activities. The abuse took place at the abusers home and at the home of the girl or in a car. No activities took place on a bible study or out in service or at a kingdom hall. There is nothing in the complaint that anyone encouraged the victim to spend alone time with the abuser. And in the complaint there are statements such as
"failing to limit one-on-one interactions between adults and minors."
How can a religion or anyone other than parents limit the interactions that their children have. And how can anyone force another adult to limit their interactions with others. I know I know, people here will say, Watchtower does it all the time when they tell people not to communicate with DF'd people. But in reality if people want to communicate with someone else there is very little that Watchtower can do about it, both legally and practically. If someone wants to associate with someone else no organization can stop them. There are laws that can stop people from associating or coming within a certain distance of a person or class of person but a religion doesn't have that ability.
"failing to ban or restrict overnight activities between congregants and minors"
Here again, I am not blaming the parents, but how can Watchtower or anyone know what another person is doing at night in their private home. It is up to parents to know where their children are especially at night. No one can monitor people 24 hours a day and know who they are with and what they are doing at all the times.
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
Richard Oliver
Yeah steve because i am the only one that characterise things. Everyone here does it.
-
90
Day 5 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Ends: Plaintiff settles in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by darkspilver inday 5 in court - and apparently the plaintiff stephanie fessler has decided to settle..... http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/jehovahs_witness_sexual_abuse.html.
jehovah's witness sexual-abuse-coverup lawsuit settled.
february 13, 2017 at 2:37 pm, updated february 13, 2017 at 2:44 pm.
-
-
Richard Oliver
Let me say that it does appear that the Elders did violate the law by not reporting this when it happened, but I see it in a different way than people on here. I feel that this should have been a state action and not a civil action. The congregation and Watchtower should be fined as prescribed by the law.
What the complaint set out in this case was pretty ridiculous in my opinion. In the complaint it talks about how Watchtower should prevent all interaction between any adult and child. Should monitor all activities of congregation members and so forth.
-
90
Day 5 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Ends: Plaintiff settles in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by darkspilver inday 5 in court - and apparently the plaintiff stephanie fessler has decided to settle..... http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/jehovahs_witness_sexual_abuse.html.
jehovah's witness sexual-abuse-coverup lawsuit settled.
february 13, 2017 at 2:37 pm, updated february 13, 2017 at 2:44 pm.
-
-
Richard Oliver
Even in the article that Redwood wrote there is no indication that the Judge shut down Watchtower at all. His article speaks of 3 motions two was denied against Watchtower and one was accepted in Watchtower favor. The rejection was not that Watchtower cannot claim Priest-Penitent Privilege because they don't qualify for it, but instead because the elder did not object to that line of questioning during the deposition. If he did object to it or the attorneys objected to it, the elder would still have had to answer the question during the deposition but it would have preserved the objection for pretial motions. The precluding of the police officer was a bit far fetched. The Judge also agreed that a witness that the plaintiff wanted to question during the trial would not have been allowed to give testimony during the trial portion. But that is what lawyers do, they file motions to exclude as much as they can. And just because the judge says that a witness can testify in the punitive stage of a trial doesn't mean that it is a sign that one side is going to lose, the Judge probably just did it for efficiency sake, she made her ruling now so that it won't come back up later if there is a need for it.
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
Richard Oliver
I agree, the offer could have gone higher. I am speculating just like everyone else. But just as it may have been higher the chances that it was the same amount that was originally offered is there too.
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
Richard Oliver
It could be that she was offered more money. It could also be that her attorney saw something that he didn't like in the case and decided that the best move was to get something rather than nothing. It could be any number of things, even including a decision in a separate appeals case that the attorney thinks that could affect this case.
Does anyone know if there was more than just opening statements given or was there any actual testimony given?
-
64
Day 1 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Opening Statements and Motions in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by AndersonsInfo innews bulletin: fessler versus watchtower – opening statements and motions in jehovah’s witness child abuse trial – day 1. .
posted on february 12, 2017. city hall, philadelphia, pennsylvania.
on a cold philadelphia morning the 7th of february, 2017, stephanie fessler walked into the court of common pleas of pennsylvania, first judicial district, civil trial division.
-
-
Richard Oliver
Watchtower made an offer before this even went to court. The Plaintiff rejected it and wanted to go to trial. So it is easy to assume that something changed on the plaintiff's side and not on Watchtower's side.