Posted by The New Improved CAN is better! on October 21, 2003 at 14:27:20:
The jury decision came after a trial that lasted 11 days in Chicago Federal Court. The Church presented extensive testimony and evidence of
Kisser’s affiliation with notorious “deprogrammers”—those who engage in the often unlawful and mostly unsuccessful practice of forcibly extricating an
individual from a religion.
The decision follows a series of other legal blows to the group, including a Washington state court judgment awarding $1 million in punitive damages
against CAN for the failed, unlawful deprogramming attempt of a young Christian man. CAN filed for bankruptcy hoping to continue its operations
while avoiding its obligations, but CAN’s hopes were short-lived and the group was ordered into liquidation when evidence revealed that it was
improperly seeking to avoid responsibility for its actions and debts. The group was purchased by a private lawyer and CAN has since been re-formed
with a multi-faith board of directors, and a policy of religious tolerance and education.
New CAN directors promote that the group now prevents deprogrammings on a regular basis, provides factual information and helps reconcile
family differences, all activities they say the old CAN claimed to be doing, but never did.
“This verdict is the final blow to the former CAN’s hatred and bigotry,” said Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International.
“They tried to save face but the list of their criminal associates is long and notorious, and the jury got the point.”
Over the years, the Church of Scientology exposed a nefarious clique of deprogrammers with known criminal records who had been involved in
kidnapping victims from many different religions and associated with the old CAN for many years. These names included:
Ted Patrick, a thrice-convicted felon whose record includes kidnapping and cocaine possession. Patrick is known as the father of deprogramming and
is the founder of CAN under its previous name, Citizens Freedom Foundation (CFF).
Galen Kelly, CAN’s security chief who had a conviction for pistol whipping one of his victims. Kelly was also used by Kisser to threaten a witness
whose testimony Kisser sought to change.
Rick Ross, a deprogrammer who had used a bomb threat to steal a hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds and other jewels for which he was
convicted.
Mike Rokos, former CAN President, who was forced to step down mid exposure of his arrest record for having solicited lewdness from a young male
undercover police officer.
Rev. Jentzsch said the Church of Scientology plans to further expose the criminal activity of deprogramming and its supporters, and to “wipe it out
once and for all as a vicious method of destroying religious beliefs.”
Jentzsch said that Catholics, Baptists, Espiscopalians, Sufis, Greek Orthodox, Amish and new religions were targets of the old CAN, and that
religious leaders have condemned the acts of the old CAN board. Deprogrammers have shown a particular fixation on members of Christian
denominations.
“The old CAN was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) of religious bigotry in America. Now the people of America can practice their religion without fear of
criminal deprogramming,” Rev. Jentzsch said. “We have done our job in preserving the rights of all religions to practice their faiths.”
“Today’s victory was a triumph for human rights, and the Church of Scientology has been fully vindicated,” Jentzsch closed.
The Church of Scientology was represented by Brian Crowe from Rock, Rusco, Reynolds, Crowe & Garvey of Chicago, and Kendrick Moxon
from Moxon & Bartilson of Los Angeles.