Their decision was unanimous, settlement or not
The jury reached a private verdict without hearing the Defense?
Day 2 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Thomas Jefferson Jr takes the stand in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial
by darkspilver 102 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Fisherman
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cha ching
Thank you John Redwood!
Thank you for the hours of your time that you spent documenting what happened, for the hours you spent reading the court docs, for interviewing the jurors and giving us insight into how they felt...
I thought, that because of the settlement, we might never know what kind of a conclusion the jurors would have come to.
Thank you again, for all of your hard work. We appreciate it!
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ScenicViewer
Fisherman: The jury reached a private verdict without hearing the Defense?
Oh dear. Have you bothered to read any of the reports of this trial?
Watchtower's defense had their shot at every witness until they decided to settle. Even Watchtower's man on the stand, Thomas Jefferson, Jr, was a poor witness whether questioned by the plaintiff's attorneys or the defense's attorneys.
The Watchtower defense was so weak you could say it was crumbling. Or nonexistent to begin with.
From John Redwoods summary:
From the moment Thomas Jefferson took the stand on behalf of Watchtower and the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (CCJW), there was an air of bedlam, confusion, and frustration. The jury of seven women and three men sat facing Jefferson in disbelief, as he struggled to answer questions – and the ones he did answer left the entire courtroom scratching their heads.
More details here, http://jwsurvey.org/child-abuse-2/breaking-news-watchtowers-defense-collapses-jehovahs-witnesses-reproved-for-failure-to-report-child-abuse-settlement-with-fessler-reached
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Fisherman
Thank you John Redwood!
Very interesting and informative.
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never a jw
Fisherman 25 minutes ago
What does that tell you?
Are you stating that WT is legally liable in this case?
Can't you read? I m asking a question... a question you are not interested in answering
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Fisherman
What does that tell you?
In the Conti case, Appeals Court ruled that there was enough evidence to find Defendants negligent in supervising Candace during a church sponsored activitity, Field Service.
In this case, the Court did not reach a verdict because the parties settled.
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John Redwood
The real issue in the Fessler case was failure to report suspicions or accusations of child abuse - that is what this entire trial came down to. Testimony (which I have yet to report on) from two elders, along with the detective who investigated and arrested Terry Monheim was undeniable, and could not be denied by the defense. Watchtower's own witness, Jefferson, made a fool of himself and the organization. The two elders who testified (there were others yet to testify) admitted knowledge of the relationship, at the very latest by 2005. They admitted to calling Watchtower's legal department, but not the police. Detective Layden testified that based on all information available to the elders at that time, there were no circumstances under which the elders or Watchtower should not have contacted the authorities. Layden testified on Friday the 10th and Monday the 14th. Following her testimony on the 14, Watchtower settled in an agreement with the plaintiff.
Watchtower had expended all of it's energy and strategies, and they all failed. There was really nothing left but for them to fold. To be honest, it was like watching a golf tournament during the peak of Tiger Woods's career. Everyone knew what the outcome was going to be, and it was not a fair fight.
I wished the trial had extended longer, if for no other reason than to see the additional elders testify, the parents of the victim, and Watchtower's expert witness who would provide evidence of Watchtower's net worth.
With an "apostate" on hand furiously taking notes, and a Hollywood producer entering the room on day 4, it became obvious to Watchtower that they needed to make a decision, and so they did.
What many do not know that after 2 continuous days of fighting the battle over whether elders were members of the clergy or not, Watchtower capitulated on the third day in a shocking admission to the judge and the entire court that elders were indeed clergy. I will be reporting further on this
JR
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never a jw
Fisherman:
the Court did not reach a verdict because the parties settled.
Ye, we can surmise that the Watchtower, in the Conti case, felt they could put up a fight, and it did. But not much of a fight was presented in this case. Based on the testimony, they did the right thing; they quit before it got worse, much worse
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never a jw
John Redwood:
a Hollywood producer entering the room on day 4
I like the sound of that. Why was he there? What do you know?
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Richard Oliver
Does anyone know how to get the transcripts for this case the full transcript without commentary?