JW fined for going door-to-door

Defender

Has anyone seen this?
http://www.poconorecord.com/2001/local/fxp40917.htm

MadApostate

Defender:

Excellent find. (Actually this was a civil lawsuit, with a homeowner winning a judgment for trepass.)

This article should be forwarded to every anti-JW organization (churches, etc.) in the US, along with instructions for their members to send certified letters to the local KH forbidding JWs to enter their property. A few of these lawsuits would possibly make the R&F leary about knocking on doors that the elders may not hve noted as don't-calls.

MadApostate

I'm brnging this EXCELLENT PIECE OF INFO to the top. I can't believe the Board is not jumping all over this.

When has a JW ever been successfully sued for calling at a door? This is something that could be "setup" in every town in the US. Judgment size potential is small, but the psychological effect it could have on the JW R&F is for more impacting in my opinion than the pedo issue that this Board seems so preoccupied with.

Grunt

We should all send a copy of this to our local newspapers and maybe our local churches! If the bill had to be paid by HEADQUARTERS, things would change PDQ. Thanks,

MadApostate

Grunt:

Well, at least one other person here recognizes the significance of this newspaper article. Sometimes the best "stuff" is the simplest, and is thus hiding right under one's nose. (Remember K.I.S.S.-Keep It Simple, Stupid)

Potentially, every homeowner in the US could send Notice (via registered/certified mail) to their local KH forbidding JWs from knocking on their door, with a statement that if the notice is ignored that the police will summoned, and trespass charges filed. In addition to criminal charges, the homeowner will also pursue monetary damages in a civil lawsuit. It would only take a dozen or so homeowners nationwide to follow through before the entire JW community would be leary about knocking on doors, wondering if their elders had properly marked the "don't-calls" on their territory cards.

I think that if one or two large urban churches could be persuaded to have its members do this, it would eventually get media attention, and then other churches would follow suit, with it snowballing all over the country. With the number of possible calls shrinking, JWs would be forced to call more often at homes of those who haven't filed Notice, which would eventually piss off those people until they too filed Notice.
All that we would need to do is put together a "kit" containing the newspaper article, copies of the JWs own materials about recording "don't-calls", copies of local trespass laws, info about civil trespass lawsuits, etc and forward to local churches, newspapers, etc.
It would only take one church here and there to run with the idea to get it going.

This is something that every US citizen on this DB could do. Every church and every homeowner is a "prospect".

Will this Board do anything with this? NO!!! Most people here just like to listen to themselves talk and massage each others ego. Heaven forbid that they would actually have to lift a fnger and do something.

No, lets sit around and discuss how much smarter we are than Federal Court Judges, and how we know more about the US Constitution than they do. (I'm sure Federal Court Judges monitor this DB to pick up legal pointers they missed at Yale and Harvard, and during all their years of practicing law.)

And this Legal Strategy is certainly not as "novel" as the pedo strategy. I mean come on, I stopped reading newspaper articles and watching Television news stories about "pedo priests" years ago. The media wore that one out years ago! Combine that with the public's "could care less about JWs so long as they aren't bothering me" attitude, and you have the perfect formula for a BIG LEAD BALLOON!!!

I hope I'm wrong, because I'm in favor of any idea that shows the Borg's flaws, and the work on this issue evidently has already been done. Soooooo, let's move on to something else.

individuals wife

Its about time something like this happened, a few times on the field service I was 'accidently' sent down the drives of Do Not Calls only to be given a right telling off and dressing down. I felt really bad for bothering people who had already made their feelings known and had requested that we stay away.

If more people were to follow the example of this woman it could only be a good thing. It used to annoy me that the elders would periodically call on Do Not Calls just to see if they had experienced a change in 'heart condition'. Why can't they accept the fact that some people just aren't interested and never will be?

Maybe hurting them in their pocket like this will send out a clear message saying 'leave us alone'. Just a shame the damages awarded weren't a larger amount. Maybe next time...

MadApostate

Good comments, but don't let the small monetary judgment detract from the overall effect, including the more important psychological effect to the R&F.

First, they would face the trauma of being arrested for criminal trespass, and then face the trama and legal expenses of the criminal trial. As soon as that's over, then they face the trauma and legal expenses of the civil lawsuit. This little "jewel" has the potential to wreak havoc in the JW ranks!

Zep

This is something that every US citizen on this DB could do

But then how are you supposed to give them a big 'Apostate' earbashing if they don't come to your front door. As for the public, they don't really care. JW's are always saying how they are spreading the good news Worldwide and announcing everything from the rooftops. The true is no-one outside Kingdom hall knows anything about them or their beliefs, least of all their sick policy of shunning. They might know something about blood though. Most people i know are indifferent to them or view them as harmlessly kooky...They have a low profile really, and i doubt you could get the wider community motivated either way in respect to them, unless a family member suddenly became involved.
Heres something different, it wont work for dubs, but if you want to screw the mormons up. When they come around, they'll usually try any trick to get into your house. A few of them will ask if they can 'help you with anything'.So... tell them they can mow the lawn or something. Seriously, some of them will do it if you let them. Just don't be anywhere near them when they babble their bible nonsense. Get them down and dirty i say.

Mommie Dark

I fail to see how clogging up local court systems with suits against individual JWs is going to accomplish anything, Mad. It might give some satisfaction to vindictive individuals but it won't hurt the Watchtower Society at all. The judgment was against the Jdub who annoyed the householder, NOT against the congregation or the Society.

I like the way you condemn everyone here for not doing what you think we should, Mad. Tell you what: you go first, you contact those churches and drum up some rage in your community, direct it against the r&f dubs in your vicinity, and come back and report here how much difference you made against the Society's legal machine.

Be sure to publicly downplay the sterling work of Silentlambs and the many behind the scenes who are actually working to force Brooklyn to some accountability for their crimes against innocents while you are tooting your horn over your successes against individual window washers. Be sure to downplay the effect of national media exposure given to important issues, while you enjoy posting whatever local newspaper article you get written about your vendetta against individual cultists.

jayhawk1

Haha that is funny. I think I will go and buy some no tresspassing signs today. I can't remember how many times we were told to ignore such signs. In Kansas City people even have no soliciting signs and the Jehovah's Witnesses ignore them.

"Hand me that whiskey, I need to consult the spirit."-J.F. Rutherford

JW fined for going door-to-door

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