Cataloged here, with explanatory discussion, are some of the judicial opinions in the many cases involving the Church of Scientology and its affiliated organizations. In many cases, the citations to the opinions are linked to copies of the actual opinions, either on this web site or elsewhere. Links to the opinions are provided as the material becomes available to me in electronic form. In some cases, portions of the case files are available.
Church of Scientology of California v. Gerry Armstrong.
Action brought by COSC against Armstrong, former scientologist, to recover documents taken by Armstrong when he left scientology. Armstrong counterclaimed. Mary Sue Hubbard intervened to assert her interest in the documents. The case was ultimately settled, resulting in a payment from COSC to Armstrong, and the imposition of a gag order on him. In subsequent proceedings the COSC enforced the gag order in contempt proceedings.
Subquesent to the settlement in the case, the COS of C and Mary Sue Hubbard appealed from an order unsealing the file in the case, and from the finding that Armstrong's conversion of the documents was justifiable. The opinion at 283 Cal. Rptr 917, 232 Cal.App.3d 1060 (Cal Ct. App., 2d Dist. 1991) gives a helpful overview of the case.
The Armstrong case is extensively discussed by the COS in its 1993 submission to the Internal Revenue Service. Among other things, the COS asserted that "Armstrong's fanatical hatred of Scientology ingratiated him with the LA CID [of the IRS] and earned him the status of IRS operative in an unlawful scheme to infiltrate and destroy the Church through, among other things, the seeding of Church files with forged or manufactured documents. " This theme is developed further in the IRS Form 1023 submission.
- Docket No. C420153 Memorandum of Intended Decision, Hon. Paul Breckenridge (Superior Court of California, June 20, 1984). The plaintiff's and intervenor's tort claims against Armstrong were dismissed. The documents filed with the court clerk were ordered to be retained by the clerk pending the disposition of the equitable claims. IRS attempts to supoena the documents for use in their litigation with the COS became the subject matter of separate litigation, see U.S. v. Zolin.
- Armstrong was interviewed for an article in the American Lawyer
- Post from usenet group alt.religion.scientology comments upon text of order sought by COS in proceeding held on October 6, 1995, in the Superior Court of California, Marin County, San Rafael, CA.
- Report in net magazine "Biased Journalism" on subsequent hearing on Armstrong case, also including a portion of the order imposed on October 17, 1995.
- NEWS...In late January, 1997, in response to Grady Ward's public call for declarations documenting Scientology's fair game policy, Gerry Armstrong defied the gag order imposed on him and filed a lengthy affidavit in the COS v. Grady Ward "internet" litigation The affidavit gives an in-depth account of Armstrong's own litigation history with scientology, and explains Armstrong's reasons for defying the gag order imposed as part of his settlement with scientology in the 1980's. Defying the gag order, on