Jolene Chu and James Pelechia?

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

20 years ago there was some change at the jw bastion.

some windows were opened when the internet became availble.

jolene chu and james pelechia did historical research for watchtower and published about it.

Jehovah's Witnesses to settle sex-abuse case - San Diego Reader (California, US), Friday, January 12, 2018

by darkspilver in

jehovah's witnesses to settle sex-abuse case - san diego reader (california, us), friday, january 12, 2018.

AudeSapere

Here is the article from the link in the OP:

Jehovah's Witnesses to settle sex-abuse case

Victim filed lawsuit six (6) years ago

By Dorian Hargrove, Jan. 12, 2018

A lawsuit is now settled between a former victim of sexual abuse and Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the court's website, the case is under a "conditional settlement." The terms and conditions of the settlement are not public.

José Lopez filed the lawsuit back in 2012, nearly 20 years after church elder Gonzalo Campos molested him and several other young children who were members of the Linda Vista congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

As reported by the Reader, Campos, who fled to Mexico to escape criminal charges, admitted to committing the acts to Lopez’s and another victim's attorney, Devin Storey, while giving testimony in one of the cases.

“I touched him in his private parts,” Campos testified.

Attorney Storey: “Did you touch his penis?”

Campos: “Yes.”

Storey: “Did you penetrate him?”

Campos: “Yes. Yes.”

Storey: “How many times?”

Campos: “More than once. I don’t know.”

In 2009, five other alleged victims sued the Watchtower and Bible and Tract Society of New York, the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses, over the molestation by Campos and the Watchtower's refusal to act.

That case settled for an undisclosed amount in 2012, the same year that Lopez filed his lawsuit and a year before another victim, Osbaldo Padron, filed his.

Then, in 2015, a state court judge ruled that the Watchtower had failed to cooperate with discovery in the Lopez case. The judge awarded a $13.5 million judgment in favor of Lopez.

The Watchtower later appealed the decision and managed to get the decision rescinded and promised to produce the requested documents.

Meanwhile, a fight over documents was also occurring in Padron's case, the one filed shortly after Lopez’s lawsuit.

At issue was Watchtower’s refusal to turn over a letter from headquarters that asked for the names of alleged sexual abusers in the church.

But at the same time other documents had been released by the Linda Vista congregation, which showed the congregation and headquarters were aware that Campos had sexually assaulted young boys and a girl but still considered him eligible to return to the congregation.

“In our meeting with him he said he was very repentant for what he did,” wrote an elder at Linda Vista's congregation to Watchtower headquarters in New York in 1999.

“He stated that he wanted to return to Jehovah. He is willing to face the victims and ask their forgiveness. He now wants to obey Jehovah. Before, when he would speak to people on the platform he would not meditate on what he was doing. Although he needed to confess, he felt shameful and had fear of mankind. He would deceive himself thinking that he could continue serving as an elder. Now he realized that he could not change without help. Ever since his expulsion he has not abused anyone. He has read articles of the publications regarding his sin. He says he does not see or read pornographic information. He stated that ever since expulsion he has worked on having a relationship with Jehovah and the expulsion has served to strengthen him spiritually. He does not miss meetings, and he even takes notes of the program. He also said that he is willing to continue accepting Jehovah’s discipline.”

While the two sides continued to fight over discovery in the Lopez case, another judge issued sanctions against the Watchtower for refusing to turn over documents in the Padron case.

The Watchtower also appealed that decision as well.

As covered by the Reader, in November a state appellate court rejected the appeal, sending the case back to state court and keeping the $4000-per-day sanctions in place.

Meanwhile, as the Padron case was heading back to state court, attorneys for Lopez and Watchtower agreed to settle the Lopez case.

Lopez’s attorney, Irwin Zalkin, did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication of this article.

There is no word yet whether Padron's case has also been settled. A hearing is scheduled for next month.

42

Kingdom Hall ... BURGER KING?

by sparky1 in

i live in a very rural part of the northeastern united states.

after 9 years of waiting, the local witnesses are getting their new kingdom hall.

it is being built on a back road next to a sandpit.

AudeSapere

stan livedeath wrote: "has Outlaw been on here lately?"

Good question! Looks like his last comment on this site was 5 months ago.

I hope he is OK and just taking a break but 5 months absence is just not like him.

Does anyone know what's happening with him?

15

Anyone Watch Dr Phil Show today?

by zophar in

are you watching dr phil with the df wife and still in husband?.

AudeSapere

Show is repeating NOW in LosAngeles. Channel 3.

15

Anyone Watch Dr Phil Show today?

by zophar in

are you watching dr phil with the df wife and still in husband?.

AudeSapere

Watching now, but late to the show. Thanks for reminder.

63

Mr. Dropoff goes to Warwick!

by dropoffyourkeylee in

made a visit to warwick recently.

i’ll try to get some pics posted..

AudeSapere

@Half Banana - Yes. I noticed that visibility was blocked by many interior structures. However, the view out back is beautiful with a lovely walkway along the lake.

63

Mr. Dropoff goes to Warwick!

by dropoffyourkeylee in

made a visit to warwick recently.

i’ll try to get some pics posted..

AudeSapere

Wow! Looks empty. You must have been first one there. I was there in August 2017. So very crowded that day.

41

Avoiding Service Tips?

by Kohanic in

back again!.

so as i'm still pimo and living under my parent's roof, how can i get out of service?

cause i really don't want to go and i feel dirty just knowing i could be influencing someone into this garbage..

AudeSapere

Start working with different congregations. Work for 30 minutes and then take a break.

The just leave the house and go to different congs, meet for service, tell them you have an RV (or whatever it's called now).

Then just start going to the territory area but no service. Just go to park or for a walk. That way you can honestly you were in xxxxx city.

Make plans to meet with non-jw friends and let family think they are a study.

Reverse theocratic warfare, right?

18

Talking Janet Jackson and Religious Freedom with the Wife

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

my recent sidewalk discussion with a couple of jw's has gotten me in the mood to say more when appropriate.so the wife and i were riding in the car and cat stevens comes on.

i mentioned to her that cat stevens left music when he was still popular and converted to islam back in the 1970's- how he was told that his music would have to be morally acceptable and he found it easier to just abandon making new music for at least 20 years.

so i didn't really remember all the details and i figured the conversation would die.

AudeSapere

Great exchange of ideas! and great examples of religious control.

What I *really* like about this conversation (attempt to wake her up) is that all three examples can come back into her thoughts often and at any given time. Without you even saying another word on the matter, she will likely remember the discussion whenever Cat Stevens or Janet Jackson (or other Jackson) comes on the radio, whenever you meet with your family friend from China, or whenever Chinese Immigrants are mentioned on TV.

Almost like an earworm, she may well have a hard time *not* remembering your comments.

11

New video on youtube

by blownaway in

i saw a new video on youtube the jws put out.

it was an elder in his basement and other jws were showing up knocking with a special knock to get in.

outside you could hear people yelling where are the witnesses.

AudeSapere

I think is what is referred to as 'The Bunker Video'.??

AudeSapere

Posts by AudeSapere

Jehovah's Witnesses to settle sex-abuse case