subject: fresno, ca jw elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl sept. 20, 2019 https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article235306577.html.
fresno, ca church elder makes plea deal in sex abuse case | the fresno bee.
a 45-year-old fresno man, who worked as a police dispatcher in madera, pleaded no contest on friday to charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl from his church.
A 45-year-old Fresno man, who worked as a police dispatcher in Madera, pleaded no contest on Friday to charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl from his church. Martin Phillip Ramos was ... |
https://www.wlwt.com/article/silent-no-more-part-4-the-justices/29040023?fbclid=iwar1beverlfko8g4lz5hbsize6dl1b87ukfabevyv07iizgziawzq1gfvevu .
silent no more: the justices.
jehovah’s witnesses argue montana supreme court justices should overturn $35 million verdict—largest in u.s.. mark albert .
Silent No More: The Justices
Jehovah’s Witnesses argue Montana Supreme Court justices should overturn $35 million verdict—largest in U.S.
Mark Albert
Chief National Investigative CorrespondentAttorneys for the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization tried on Friday to overturn the largest civil verdict against it in U.S. history, arguing to the Montana Supreme Court that it did not violate the state’s mandatory reporter law that requires notifying authorities of suspected child abuse allegations in some instances.
The justices of the Montana Supreme Court hear oral arguments in Nunez v. Watchtower, in Billings, Montana, on Sept. 13, 2019.
jehovah's witnesses ask court to reverse $35m abuse verdict.
by the associated press.
posted sep 13, 2019 12:34 pm pdt.
by The Associated Press
Posted Sep 13, 2019 12:34 pm PDT
BILLINGS, Mont. — An attorney for the Jehovah’s Witnesses asked the Montana Supreme Court on Friday to reverse a $35 million verdict against the church for not reporting a girl’s sexual abuse to authorities.
Last year, a jury awarded $4 million in compensatory damages and $31 million in punitive damages to a woman who said she was abused as a child in the mid-2000s by a member of the Thompson Falls Jehovah’s Witness congregation.
The abuse came after the congregation’s elders disciplined the man over allegations of abusing two other family members in the 1990s and early 2000s, the woman’s lawsuit said.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ appealed the jury’s verdict, and attorney Joel Taylor said during arguments Friday that church elders handled the allegations internally in accordance with church practices. State law exempts clergy from reporting if church doctrine or practice requires confidentiality, he said.
The church has been painted as lawbreakers who are callous toward child abuse, Taylor said.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said. “All Christians, all people, abhor child abuse and our sympathies lie with the victim in this case.”
But the large jury award trampled on the constitutionally protected beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, he said.
The woman’s attorney, Jim Molloy, says the church doesn’t qualify for the clergy exemption to the state reporting law because Jehovah’s Witness officials testified that an elder can choose to report a child abuser to authorities under church practice.
“Local authorities are instructed to contact the national organization when they learn about a child abuser,” Molloy said. “That’s what they did. They were instructed not to report, and (the girl) continued to be abused.”
The jury’s $35 million verdict goes against a Montana law that caps punitive damage awards at $10 million or 3% of a company’s net worth, whichever is less. Molloy is asking the state Supreme Court to strike down that cap as unconstitutional.
The court did not make an immediate ruling.
The lawsuit claims the man sexually abused three family members in Thompson Falls in the 1990s and 2000s. Two of the victims say they reported the abuse to church elders, who handled the matter internally after consulting with the national organization.
The elders expelled the abuser from the congregation in 2004 then reinstated him the next year, the lawsuit states, and the abuse of the younger victim continued.
The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/09/13/jehovahs-witnesses-ask-court-to-reverse-35m-abuse-verdict/
https://7news.com.au/politics/abuse-reporting-law-passes-vic-parliament-c-445627?utm_campaign=share-icons&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&tid=1568152669571&fbclid=iwar2mvjbkt-nlu3tx-rmifxynagtcec1ad8lm4zcn2-f3zloqpd8xb1jamsi.
victorian parliament has passed laws making it mandatory for priests to report child abuse, including when it is revealed to them during confession.. a bill introduced by the state labor government passed the upper house on tuesday after last week getting a green light from the legislative assembly, with opposition support.. "today we've made victoria a safer place for children.
the special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported," child protection minister luke donnellan said in a statement....
Victorian parliament has passed laws making it mandatory for priests to report child abuse, including when it is revealed to them during confession.
A bill introduced by the state Labor government passed the upper house on Tuesday after last week getting a green light from the Legislative Assembly, with opposition support.
"Today we've made Victoria a safer place for children. The special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported," Child Protection Minister Luke Donnellan said in a statement...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/11/jehovahs-witness-agrees-not-show-son-religious-cartoons-risk/?wt.mc_id=tmg_share_fb.
a jehovah's witness has agreed not to show his son religious cartoons and has been banned from taking the six-year-old to some church events because it could cause him "emotional damage".
the man is embroiled in a family court dispute with his estranged wife and has been barred by a court from taking the little boy to jehovah's witness assemblies, annual conventions and memorials.. district judge malcolm dodds also said that the father had agreed not to show his son "jehovah's witness cartoons", a decision he described as "wise".
A Jehovah's Witness has agreed not to show his son religious cartoons and has been banned from taking the six-year-old to some church events because it could cause him "emotional damage".
The man is embroiled in a family court dispute with his estranged wife and has been barred by a court from taking the little boy to Jehovah's Witness assemblies, annual conventions and memorials.
District Judge Malcolm Dodds also said that the father had agreed not to show his son "Jehovah's Witness cartoons", a decision he described as "wise".
wtc has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash.
for example, when puerto rico was devastated by a hurricane, wtc directed a large number of congregations to donate $1500 each in supplies that would be used for relief purposes.
it is not known how many congregations took part in this effort but the feedback suggests it was in the hundreds.
Some trucks were also donated for shipping by boat to PR but the trucks were not used after being shipped because the entire effort was canceled by the Branch. The new plan was to sell all collected items to liquidators. The warehouse was closed and all the donated items are gone. No money was reimbursed to congs that donated.
wtc has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash.
for example, when puerto rico was devastated by a hurricane, wtc directed a large number of congregations to donate $1500 each in supplies that would be used for relief purposes.
it is not known how many congregations took part in this effort but the feedback suggests it was in the hundreds.
Finkelstein, you said, "Does anyone honestly think that happened?" In my opinion, you sound so jaded. Would I lie? Perhaps you don't know the JW organization very well. Here in the South, there are many JWs that are financially very well off. In fact, there are millionaire JWs in some areas. Florida has an enormous population of retired wealthy JWs. I lived in Florida for 18 years and still have many contacts there.
I agree with the rest of your post, but I suggest you apologize to me, or is that too much to ask? My contacts do not lie but were personally involved in the story I posted.
Barbara
wtc has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash.
for example, when puerto rico was devastated by a hurricane, wtc directed a large number of congregations to donate $1500 each in supplies that would be used for relief purposes.
it is not known how many congregations took part in this effort but the feedback suggests it was in the hundreds.
WTC has become adept at using tragedy as a means of raising cash. For example, when Puerto Rico was devastated by a hurricane, WTC directed a large number of congregations to donate $1500 each in supplies that would be used for relief purposes.
It is not known how many congregations took part in this effort but the feedback suggests it was in the hundreds. However, the majority of those provisions were never used. What happened to the many pallets of supplies that were purchased and shipped to central locations waiting to be shipped to the poor JW’s in Puerto Rico? Eventually it was liquidated and the proceeds were absorbed by WTC.
This week hurricane Dorian pummeled the Bahamas and the congregations there were no doubt severely affected. Will WTC pull a play from the Puerto Rico situation and once again ask the congregations to contribute toward the relief effort?
There is no doubt that funds will be needed, but why not just send money to a relief organization that will diligently disperse the funds. Who knows, maybe some needy non-witnesses might also benefit. In any event, we can watch and see. Hey WTC – we are watching you! Do the right thing this time!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvy3psm6yjc&feature=share&fbclid=iwar1ohqdjwo3z5emla1etpxrtiaewnsbds5tftqxxsht_bkem5ih-m0elvse.
4:16 minutes.
https://www.facebook.com/zalkinlawfirm/ - facebook live today at 11 am pst.
the zalkin law firm - in la today, big news conference about a childhood sexual abuse survivor filing a lawsuit against the jehovah's witnesses..
https://www.facebook.com/zalkinlawfirm/ - Facebook LIVE today at 11 am PST. The Zalkin Law Firm - In LA today, big news conference about a childhood sexual abuse survivor filing a lawsuit against the Jehovah's Witnesses.
