Does anyone know how the prosecutors worked around the statute of limitations on this case? Was it considered continous?
Balaamsass
JoinedPosts by Balaamsass
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Will Watchtower Bible and Tract Society staff or Jehovah's Witnesses ELDERS be convicted next ?
by Balaamsass inabout an hour ago the first criminal conviction of clergy involved in child abuse cover-up occured!
considering the power of the the catholic church, and the percentage of catholics on the jury this is incredible!!!!!
how long do you think it will be before before elders and bethelites among jehovahs's witnesses are convicted of criminal conspiracy with no jehovah's witnesses in the jury pool ?
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Taking a break from AJWRB due to lack of interest
by Shawn10538 inwell, i've given it a year of my life and i hoped it would have taken off a bit stronger.
i thought it was a good cause and still do.
but i can't pay my bills and i can no longer justify spending time on the cause of saving lives with blood transfusions.
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Balaamsass
Thank You for your tireless hard work. The site is up and the information is available for anyone in the world. Take care of your family!
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Will Watchtower Bible and Tract Society staff or Jehovah's Witnesses ELDERS be convicted next ?
by Balaamsass inabout an hour ago the first criminal conviction of clergy involved in child abuse cover-up occured!
considering the power of the the catholic church, and the percentage of catholics on the jury this is incredible!!!!!
how long do you think it will be before before elders and bethelites among jehovahs's witnesses are convicted of criminal conspiracy with no jehovah's witnesses in the jury pool ?
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Balaamsass
Mind Blown, Something to think about. The Penn. case above some clergy is hiding at the Vatican.....Perhaps the Governing Body will need to forget moving to upstate NY and enlarge a facility in the Bahamas.
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About Anonymous they are working on things as we speak!
by life is to short insoldier 77 just posted this about two hours ago but i think his post got lost is the great debate and straw mans that another posters was throwing around.. anyway i hope soldier 77 does not mind if i make a thread from his insight.
soldier 77 "this seems to have missed in the tangent argument going on: http://pastebin.com/3nitctlf.
anonymous are needing some more people on the inside to help.
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Balaamsass
Well the great thing about Anonymous, is just THAT it is Anonymous, and every alphabet soup agency in the world monitors them, so for the first time ever...the good news about child molesting is being spread in over 200 lands WORLD WIDE!!!!!
Think of the great witness to all those hardworking computer nerds locked in windowless vaults around the world!! CIA, DOD, FBI, NSA, CID, NIA, Mossad, Soviets, MI5,- you get the picture...a lot of these guys rarely answer the door Saturday mornings...and they have kids.. BELIEVE ME...they may hate each other but all of them REALLY HATE CHILD MOLESTERS.
The WTBTS should be having a true come to Jesus experience this year. Some JWs will be loosing security clearances. No more Child molesting, Child Abusing, or money laundering around the world for the Watchtower folks for long.
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Balaamsass
I hope someone in the legal field will put together a letter to get this to EVERY State Prosecutor, the Department of Justice and all 50 state Bar associations to dis-bar these yo-yos. "question #9" I want to puke.
Does anyone remember the JW letter writing campaigns ?
#9 "Those little Lolitas are asking for it" ....
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Why the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society BAN against Peace Officers serving as "Elders " for Jehovah's Witnesses ?
by Balaamsass inin the early 80s the watchtower society began to forbid any police officer from serving as a ministerial servant, elder or even viewed as "exemplary".
at the time i was told it was because of firearms, possible bloodguilt, and being men of violence- "smiters".. as a young person it just didn't make sense to me.
i knew and liked a few peace officers who served as elders.
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Balaamsass
True Blondie, today just about everyone today seems to be a mandated reporter. But I was looking at information, GB, laws, and mindsets in the late 70s, and early 80s.
We had some some conversations on this subject at Bethel in the 70s. I listened to a couple of Governing Body yack about this subject. I also remember a number of NYC cops. Some were Elders. Also a JW FBI agent.
Some of the earliest child abuse reporting laws occured when Domestic Violence was becomming a national issue. Some Police Departments were almost sued out of existence "for failure to act". Manditory action started to become a big part of police work. I do remember some scutlebutt about a couple of Domestic Violence situations in a congregation I attended where a servant was also a cop and arrested the JW Husband. Then some thought it was horrible the JW husband was arrested by a brother...oh my .. "involving worldly authorities".
I can't quite remember... but I think the landmark case was in Rhode Island. It has been a long time though.
I do find it amuzing however, that a College educated, married, fully vetted FBI Agent would not qualify to be an Elder (Deacon) in a Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, but a High School drop-out, Pedophile, with a Felony record in another State could be considered if the "situation occured "a number of years ago". (Of course he would need to turn in 15 hrs of field service a month, give a good talk, and show up for all the meetings.) lol!!
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Jehovah's Witnesses...loyal to God...or to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ?
by Balaamsass inthis month is a month of testing for jehovah's witnesses.
individually, each must ask himself: to whom are you loyal?
no doubt in ancient isreal many attended the molech and calf worshiping festivals out of loyalty to the nation, the king, and perhaps in a mistaken belief to "jehovah".
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Balaamsass
This month is a month of testing for Jehovah's Witnesses. Individually, each must ask himself: to whom are you loyal? No doubt in ancient Isreal many attended the Molech and Calf worshiping festivals out of loyalty to the nation, the King, and perhaps in a mistaken belief to "Jehovah". The most "loyal" bent to cult pressure and offered up children for burnt offerings. Imagine yourself back in ancient times..who would you be loyal to? The King (The visible earthly organization?).
Are you going to be "loyal" and OBEY the Watchtower Society and offer up your Children, Grandchildren, neices and nephews to the MOLECH of pedophilia, lack of medical attention (Blood), and ignorance (lack of education)?.. Is THAT what a loving God requires ? Is THAT what Jesus preached?
An interesting article by a "Worldy newspaper writer" in the Washington Post:
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Posted at 06:06 PM ET, 07/24/2012 TheWashingtonPost
Monsignor Lynn’s jail time helps strip away shield of loyalty
By Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
Catholic Monsignor William Lynn returns after a lunch break to Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center March 26, 2012 in Philadelphia during his trial on covering up pedophile abuses. Monsignor Lynn, who oversaw the assignment of priests to schools and parishes across the Philadelphia region, faces accusations that he failed to keep priests accused of sexual abuse away from minors. Co-defendant Reverend James Brennan is accused of sexually abusing boys in the 1990's. (STAN HONDA - AFP/GETTY IMAGES) Six years in prison for Monsignor William Lynn, former clergy secretary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because of his complicity in sexual abuse of minors; $60 million in fines to Penn State and its football program for similar indifference towards a coach. These despicable events are linked by a defect in American society. There is little public conscience to protect those speaking truth to power.Particularly sad is how these recent events distort what should be an uplifting faith in an institution. Does not Penn State make of its football a weekly religion, replete with dedicated blue-and-white, competing ritually in an arena for honor? Does not Catholic America consider the bishop’s office the watchtower of a living faith? We all regret the sins and sympathize with the victims, but unless we recognize the climate that has fostered wrongdoing and change, these events will be repeated.
The failure to be feared the most lies with the university favoring football wins over integrity and with the clericalism that prefers loyalty over virtue. In short, there is a moral void in American society that does not reward whistle blowing against the interests of an institution.
I think the case of Philadelphia’s Monsignor Lynn is the more tragic because it is clearly religious. Similar cover-ups of abuses occur in other institutions, but because more is expected from the Catholic Church, the betrayal is worse. The court sentenced the priest to three to six years in prison, which is not the maximum sought by the prosecution, but far more than the simple house arrest or work release proposed by the monsignor’s attorneys.Consider what that will mean for the 60-year-old cleric: denied the protection of his clerical garb, tossed into the general prison population, unprepared to rely on violence to protect himself from further violence from street criminals – we have all seen TV and film representation of the terrors behind prison walls. Is this too harsh for a mild-mannered priest who was only following the orders of his bishop? Is this sentence a reflection of an anti-Catholic bias against we who believe that a bishop is chosen by God to lead the church? Was it not his job as clergy secretary to keep secret the sinful behavior of wayward priests so as to serve the greater good of preserving the good name of Catholicism?
I would argue in rebuttal, that precisely because the courts are required to “serve the greater good” and because the church needs to preserve “the good name of Catholicism,” the penalty is not harsh enough. Three to six years makes the message clear. Without fearsome consequences to those working directly for power-conscious prelates, ecclesiastical ambition and blind loyalty to one’s superiors will interfere with justice. There will always be the temptation to obey men rather than God when one’s career will suffer more from doing the right thing than from standing up for justice. This is true for coaches, university administrators and sadly also for chancery officials. In Catholic America, we can be thankful for the members of SNAP for standing courageously against cardinals, archbishops and their minions. Truth was spoken to power, generally at the cost of personal vilification and church orchestrated legal attacks .
While I have sympathy for Monsignor Lynn who will face punishments that will likely test his soul, I also remember that his actions-- or lack thereof -- tortured the souls of innocent children. Eerily, like the Penn State case where coach Joe Paterno (d. January 22, 2012) had passed away before his role was fully disclosed, in Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (d. January 31, 2012) had also passed away before the sentencing. Meanwhile, Cardinal Bernard Francis Law of Boston where this tale began to unravel is ensconced in Rome, safe from U.S. legal prosecution.
The jail time that Monsignor Lynn will serve helps strip away the shield of loyalty upon which some unfeeling bishops had depended to avoid culpability for questionable actions. Ultimately, I see benefits to the church in general and bishops in particular to have leadership that is transparent in decision-making and evangelical in inspiration."
By Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo | 06:06 PM ET, 07/24/2012
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Will Watchtower Bible and Tract Society staff or Jehovah's Witnesses ELDERS be convicted next ?
by Balaamsass inabout an hour ago the first criminal conviction of clergy involved in child abuse cover-up occured!
considering the power of the the catholic church, and the percentage of catholics on the jury this is incredible!!!!!
how long do you think it will be before before elders and bethelites among jehovahs's witnesses are convicted of criminal conspiracy with no jehovah's witnesses in the jury pool ?
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Balaamsass
Doubting Brother;
I agree. Take a look at "Watchtower Documents" Barbara Anderson's WEB- SITE. Bottom right are PDFs of the 2007 Court Documents & settlements (Pedophia in an American Religion). The correspondance between the Congregation Elders, Circuit Overseer, District Overseer and Bethel is facinating.
It is beyond my comprehension that anyone who believes in righteousness, or a god, could after reading testimony of child victims.. decide to REVERSE an earlier decision and print the changes in the NEW FLOCK book!!! To even consider "appointing a Pedophile to a position "after a few years". WOW.
Perhaps they could not believe the book would get released onto the internet. Those statements are like gasoline next to a fireplace.
Moral highground..I think not.
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Will Watchtower Bible and Tract Society staff or Jehovah's Witnesses ELDERS be convicted next ?
by Balaamsass inabout an hour ago the first criminal conviction of clergy involved in child abuse cover-up occured!
considering the power of the the catholic church, and the percentage of catholics on the jury this is incredible!!!!!
how long do you think it will be before before elders and bethelites among jehovahs's witnesses are convicted of criminal conspiracy with no jehovah's witnesses in the jury pool ?
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Balaamsass
About an hour ago the first criminal conviction of Clergy involved in Child Abuse cover-up occured! Considering the power of the the Catholic Church, and the percentage of Catholics on the jury this is incredible!!!!! How long do you think it will be before before Elders and Bethelites among Jehovahs's Witnesses are convicted of criminal conspiracy with NO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES in the Jury pool ? (Most JWs do not serve on juries). hummmmm
Pa. monsignor who became 1st US church official branded felon for sex cover-up gets 3-6 years
By Associated Press, Published: July 23 | Updated: Tuesday, July 24, 10:38 AM
PHILADELPHIA — The first U.S. church official convicted of covering up sex-abuse claims against Roman Catholic priests was sentenced Tuesday to three to six years in prison by a judge who said he “enabled monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children.”
Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, “helped many but also failed many” in his 36-year church career, Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said.
Lynn, who handled priest assignments and child sexual assault complaints from 1992 to 2004, was convicted last month of felony child endangerment for his oversight of now-defrocked priest Edward Avery. Avery is serving a 2½- to five-year sentence for sexually assaulting an altar boy in church in 1999.
“I did not intend any harm to come to (Avery’s victim). The fact is, my best was not good enough to stop that harm,” Lynn said. “I am a parish priest. I should have stayed (one).”
Lynn’s lawyers had sought probation, arguing that few Pennsylvanians serve long prison terms for child endangerment and their client shouldn’t serve more time than abusers like Avery. They plan to appeal the landmark conviction and seek bail while the lengthy appeals process unfolds.
The judge said Lynn enabled “monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart.”
She believed he initially hoped to address the sex abuse problem and perhaps drafted a 1994 list of accused priests for that reason. But when Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua instead had the list destroyed, Lynn chose to remain in the job and obey his bishop — by keeping quiet — as children suffered, she said.
“You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong,” Sarmina said.
The 61-year-old Lynn was acquitted last month of conspiracy and a second endangerment count involving a co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan. The jury deadlocked on a 1996 abuse charge against Brennan, and prosecutors said Monday that they would retry him.
In 1992, a doctor told Lynn’s office that Avery had abused him years earlier. Lynn met with the doctor and sent Avery for treatment — but the church-run facility diagnosed him with an alcohol problem, not a sexual disorder. Avery was returned to ministry and sent to live at the northeast Philadelphia parish where the altar boy was assaulted in 1999.
Prosecutors who spent a decade investigating sex abuse complaints kept in secret files at the archdiocese and issued two damning grand jury reports argue that Lynn and unindicted co-conspirators in the church hierarchy kept children in danger and the public in the dark.
“He locked away in a vault the names of pedophile priests. He locked in a vault the names of men that he knew had abused children. He now will be locked away for a fraction of the time he kept that secret vault,” District Attorney Seth Williams said of Lynn.
Defense lawyers have long argued that the state’s child endangerment statute, revised in 2007 to include those who supervise abusers, should not apply to Lynn since he left office in 2004. They also insist he did more than anyone at the archdiocese to meet with victims, get pedophile priests into treatment and send recommendations to the cardinal.
“He did the best he could under absolute awful circumstances,” lawyer Thomas Bergstrom said after the hearing. “If he wanted to play the game, he wouldn’t have met with them at all.”
Lynn was the first U.S. church official convicted for his handling of abuse claims in the sex scandal that’s rocked the Catholic church for more than a decade. But he might not be the last.
Bishop Robert Finn and the Kansas City diocese face a misdemeanor charge of failing to report suspected child sexual abuse. Both Finn and the diocese have pleaded not guilty and are set to go on trial next month.
“Protecting children has to be first and foremost,” said Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “We’re extremely grateful that the judge and the prosecutors did not give Monsignor Lynn special treatment because of his priestly status.”
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Associated Press writer JoAnn Loviglio in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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How big a fee does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society get for booking Jehovah's Witnesses into Convention Hotels?
by Balaamsass incurious.
i know travel agents and on-line sites get a kickback or fee for booking hotels.
how much is this fee?.
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Balaamsass
Yes Jake, I grew up near enough to an assembly city to have a lot of involvement in pre-assembly work, set up, and friends served in rooming for many years.
In the 90s and 2000s after food service was disbanded the tone of Rooming changed and WTBTS became adament about WHERE friends stayed. Only after moving and being involved in assiting poor JW friends make it to assemblies did I become aware of the descrepancies.