JW.ORG CRIMINAL ACTIONS RESULT IN $13.5 MILLION JUDGMENT?


Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to cover up child abuse and use donated funds to pay for their crimes against children. The first lawsuits were filed in May of 2001 on behalf of victims. At that time ten victims came forward and put their lives on the line to establish precedents that would assist future victims to have success in the courts. Many of the first lawsuits failed due to every technicality that Jehovah’s Witness lawyers could exploit. In some cases victims were strung long being told action would be taken until the statue of limitation ran out and then they were told JW.ORG would do nothing. It was only about the money all along for JW.ORG.

From the very inception of litigations being filed I wrote the first lawsuits about the structure and how congregation elders handled matters. I also provided and explained the key BOE letters on child abuse and how they were used to hurt victims of abuse. Each law firm that came forward amounted to hundreds of hours in donated time being spent to educate and help attorneys understand how the process worked within the elder body and how the Service Department functioned. In my last year as an elder I was involved in an actual case of a fellow elder being a confessed child molester. I was appointed to chair the investigation and had numerous calls to the Service Department. I actually filed a “Telememo” (call in abuser report) of an abuser with the Legal Department. With my experience I knew exactly how the process worked as I was trying to get this pedophile reported to the police. When everything failed trying to go through the organization I finally resigned as an elder and reported him myself. JW.ORG sent in a Circuit Overseer to give a special talk and say I was a liar. To this day the pedophile remains in good standing in that congregation and goes door to door to start studies with unknowing families in the local community.


The first major settlements were paid out to victims in 2007 with major gag orders being required to be signed by all victims with lawyers out of Texas. It was accidentally leaked to media the amount paid to each victim that totaled over $17 million in Worldwide Work donated funds going to victims. Next the Candace Conti trial in which a jury after hearing the evidence awarded $28 million to one person. This was largely in punitive damages as a way to punish JW.ORG for their egregious policies that put children in danger. The jury overreached the amount they could legally award but it shows just how badly they wished to hold JW.ORG accountable. The judgment remains on appeal after almost two years with millions in interest and lawyer fees once again coming from the donated Worldwide Work funds spent with reckless abandon. The final settlement in my opinion will be around $7-10 million but the longer the JW.ORG lawyers prolong the process the more they have to pay. After the Conti verdict seven victims received a massive multi million settlement the same year. JW.ORG once again filed gag orders to prevent the actual amount from being known. California laws forbid them now from gagging the victims so they were able to speak out to media as a result. How much was this settlement? In my opinion it could have ranged from $7-30 million. While we will never know the exact numbers once again donated funds were used to continue bad policies while making no meaningful actions on behalf of protecting children.


With my 43 years as a member and 15 years experience as an elder I have testified as an expert on abuse and custody cases in court and in depositions. The European Commission, French Parliament, VH1, Dateline, NYT, CNN, Panorama, RNC, Newsweek, Special Prosecutors, Attorney Generals, and various government and media sources have interviewed me as an expert to explain how abuse is covered up. From day one there was one simple goal and that was to make the Governing Body answer for their crimes against children. Each lawyer I worked with I kept them to a simple goal, get a foremost GB member in a deposition on video explaining their child abuse policy. Second get the complete documentation of their records on abuse. In the first lawsuits the courts turned them down over and over again, but as time passed precedents were established that laid a framework for this to happen. To require Governing Body members to explain themselves would be like touching the eye of Jehovah to most members. Well that finally happened. On April 2, 2014 Gerritt Losh was ordered to appear at a video taped deposition to answer questions about his role as a leader of Jehovah’s Witnesses with regard to the child abuse policy. The Service Department was ordered to produce thirty years of child abuse records for review on that same day. Can you guess what happened? In much like cowardly Jim Baker fashion Losh hide and refused to show his face. The Service Department followed the same actions of none cooperation with “Caesar’s Court”.

What would have happened to an individual if you thumbed your nose at court ordered requirement?

They would go to jail for contempt and pay fines. Losh was not ordered to jail but due to his actions the lawsuit went into default. You see if you are being sued and you refused to follow the orders of the court you automatically lose. This is what happened here.

It certainly appears in their minds the Governing Body is above all laws including God and man. When we had the Silentlambs March on September 27, 2002 it was not a protest it was the bringing forth of eye witnesses to testify before the Service Department regarding the sins committed by the Governing Body against children. This included “Loose Conduct”, “Causing Divisions”, and “Malicious Uncleaness” as Biblical charges that were going to be proven by the testimony of eyewitnesses made up of fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Governing Body ordered that Bethel be put into lockdown and put guards at the gates. Instead of being humble men they proved themselves to be the cowards they were and hide from (eye-witness) abuse survivors.

So if the Governing Body thinks they are above the laws of God then what chance does a court of the earth have against them? The latest ruling proves the GB think they are above man’s law as well and will gladly use millions of donated funds to pay their way out of answering for their crimes against children. You cannot appeal a case when you are in default. They can try to appeal the amount but that is a massive losing battle when you are already committing crimes against the court. Yes, Gerritt Losh is a criminal; he breaks the law and refuses to cooperate with the justice system. Just like any other wealthy con man he has a ton of money and victims to enable him and his fellow Governing Body members at JW.ORG to continue in their crimes against children

In the end we applaud the courage and bravery of the thousands of abuse survivors that have come forward to tell their stories. We thank the hundreds that have met with lawyers and law enforcement with a singular goal of seeing this never happens to another child. We appreciate the judges and legal teams that have the insight to see the big picture and what needs to happen to make meaningful changes that will forever impact children’s lives for the better. We hear the voice of every Silentlamb that by whatever effort they may have put forth are part of a movement that exposes evil and protects those that need it the most, our children.

Thank you for no longer being a Silent Lamb

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See below press information from Zalkin and SNAP

NEWS

October 31, 2014

Contacts:        Irwin Zalkin                                    

858-259-3011 office                       

858-945-2144 mobile                     

Irwin@zalkin.com

Victim of Childhood Sexual Abuse Awarded $13.5 Million Default Judgment Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses National Organization the Watchtower

Childhood Victim Suffered Sexual Abuse from his Bible Study Teacher and Ordained Minister of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

San Diego, CA, October 31, 2014 –  San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan M. Lewis has entered a judgment against the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (Watchtower) for $13.5 million in punitive and compensatory damages in a civil lawsuit filed by the Zalkin Law Firm on behalf of a victim of sexual abuse who was a child member of the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1986. 

The case involved child sexual abuse by a serial child sexual predator within two local San Diego congregations of the Jehovah's Witnesses.  The Zalkin Law Firm filed this civil lawsuit in February of 2013 (Case No: 37-2012-00099849-CU-PO-CTL).  The plaintiff, Jose Lopez, was a minor child whose family was active in the congregation at the time of the alleged abuse.  In her ruling at the end of trial on Thursday, Judge Lewis found the conduct of the governing corporate leader, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. and its governing body's efforts to cover up the abuse and protect the perpetrator “reprehensible and reckless”. 

“Mr. Lopez has suffered for years as a result of this horrendous abuse and we are pleased that he will finally receive justice and compensation as a result of Judge Lewis’ strong ruling against the Watchtower,” said Irwin Zalkin, attorney representing Mr. Lopez.  “The Watchtower has ignored sexual abuse complaints from its members for years, choosing to protect sexual predators and not children.  This ruling may hopefully awake the Jehovah’s Witnesses leadership to the standards of morality and care for children that our society demands.”

In a highly unusual case, Judge Lewis had entered a default judgment against the corporate head of the Jehovah's Witnesses after it refused to obey court orders to produce documents that would show the depth and breadth of the problem of sexual abuse of children within congregations of the Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the United States.  In addition, Watchtower refused a court order to produce the longest serving member of its governing body for a deposition.  

Both the Fourth District Court of Appeals, and the California Supreme Court rebuffed Watchtower's efforts the reverse Judge Lewis' orders on these matters.   Despite the decision of the Appeals Court and the California Supreme Court, Watchtower refused to produce the documents or the witness.  

California law permits the court to strike the answer of a defendant that refuses to abide by a court order and to enter a default judgment against them.   After giving Watchtower every opportunity to comply with her order, Judge Lewis issued the terminating sanction and entered a default judgment against Watchtower.   She then ordered the Zalkin Law Firm lawyers for the victim to prove their case by putting on evidence to support the allegations of the victim’s complaint. 

After hearing six days of testimony and presentation of written evidence, Judge Lewis was satisfied that the Plaintiff had more that adequately proved his case.  Accordingly, she issued a judgment in favor of the Plaintiff in the amount of $13,500,000.00 that includes an award of $10,500,000 in punitive damages intended to punish Watchtower for its reprehensible conduct.

The case itself involved a known serial child molester by the name of Gonzalo Campos.  At the time he sexually abuse the plaintiff, Jose Lopez, in 1986, who was only 7 years old, he was an ordained minister of the Jehovah's Witnesses and had already abused four other children.   Evidence in the case showed that Elders of the Linda Vista Congregation of the Jehovah's Witnesses were aware as early as 1982 that Campos was a child molester but chose to take no action against him.  Further evidence showed that Church leaders did not report him to law enforcement, they did not warn other parents of the congregation, they never checked to see if he might be abusing other children of the congregation, they allowed him to give bible study to young children and ultimately recommended him to Jose's mother as someone Jose should study bible with. 

According to the evidence presented in the case, after Campos spent months grooming Jose and sexually molesting him, Jose reported the molestation to his mother.  She and her mentor, a senior female member of the congregation, reported the sexual abuse to a congregation elder appointed by Watchtower.  That elder and another elder confirmed that the sexual abuse occurred.  Both Jose's mother and her mentor were told by church leaders not to say anything that it would get handled.  Nothing was done, and ultimately, Jose and his mother disassociated themselves from the Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Case evidence presented in the trial further showed that despite the reports and confession by Campos of abusing a child in 1982 and Jose in 1986, he was allowed to remain in the congregation and over the next twelve years was actually elevated up the organizational ladder ultimately becoming an elder himself in 1993.   During this time frame he has confessed to sexually abusing at least eight children.

Documents and testimony in the case showed that elders and the Watchtower took no action for almost a year after receiving a written complaint in April of 1994 from a mother of one of the victims whose son was molested by Campos in approximately 1984.  During this time as an elder, he continued to abuse young Jehovah's Witness children.  Even after he was expelled as a known and confessed child molester, he was reinstated within a few years without any warning to parents of children within the congregation.

After hearing testimony from numerous witnesses and seeing dozens of documents, Judge Lewis stated that the testimony of many of the elders and experts of the Jehovah's Witnesses was not credible and appeared to cover up the truth. 

“Rather than reaching out to victims, the leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses consistently treats victims as adversaries.  They circle their wagons and attack the victim”, said Zalkin, who has filed cases in five other states on behalf of other Jehovah’s Witnesses childhood sexual abuse victims.   “This court ruling is a clear condemnation of the disgraceful conduct of this organization, conduct that is totally contrary to what one would expect from a religious institution that promotes itself as living in the Truth.”  

About The Zalkin Law Firm

With offices in San Diego and New York, The Zalkin Law Firm (www.zalkin.com) is one of the premier sexual abuse and personal injury law firms in the country.  The firm's lawyers have represented hundreds of survivors of childhood sexual abuse and achieved groundbreaking results in numerous high-profile clergy abuse cases across the United States.  

The Zalkin Law Firm has aggressively represented hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse, including former Boy Scouts.  The firm has negotiated over $200 million in settlements in Catholic clergy sex abuse cases.  The firm currently has more than 20 active lawsuits against the Jehovah’s Witnesses in five states, representing victims of childhood sexual abuse.

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Jehovah’s Witness HQ hit with $10 million penalty; SNAP responds

For immediate release: Friday, Oct. 31

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

The national headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses must pay $13.5 million to a victim in a clergy sex abuse and cover up lawsuit. We hope this wake-up call will prod church officials to take kids’ safety more seriously.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135M-Awarded-to-Bible-Teacher-Gonzalo-Campos-Alleged-Abuse-Victim-Jose-Lopez-281031832.html

For decades, Jehovah’s Witness officials have acted as or more secretively and callously in child sex cases as Catholic bishops. And like Catholic bishops, Jehovah’s Witness officials make promises, policies and procedures about abuse but little or no progress in preventing abuse. They continue to focus on protecting themselves and their reputations instead of protecting innocent kids and vulnerable adults.

And the denomination’s bureaucrats will change only as more victims summon the strength to step forward and take legal action – both criminal and civil – against both molesters and their “enablers.”

We applaud the judge who made this ruling. Even more, we applaud Jose Lopez, one of eight children who say Gonzalo Campos sexually abused them. Lopez is a hero. It takes real bravery for any child sex abuse victim to speak up. It takes more courage to seek justice, file suit, and disclose one’s name. By doing this, and by persevering, Lopez has exposed Jehovah’s Witnesses who commit and conceal heinous crimes against kids. He is to be commended for his courage and his compassion.

Should anyone consider $13.5 million to be excessive in a child sex case, we ask one simple question: “How much would someone have to pay you in order to sexually assault your child?” No amount of money can restore a stolen childhood and the shattered trust and psyche and faith that results when an alleged “man of God” sexually violates a child.

Because Campos has fled to Mexico, we beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes – or crimes by any Jehovah’s Witness – to break their silence, get help, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.

Campos was part of the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Playa Pacifica Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pacific Beach, California.

Lopez is represented by San Diego attorney Irwin Zalkin.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Dorris(314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747,SNAPblaine@gmail.com)

Jehovah's Witnesses Ordered to Pay $13.5M to Bible Teacher's Alleged Victim

By Andie Adams and Rory Devine

The National Organization for Jehovah's Witnesses was ordered to pay $13.5 million to a San Diego man who says he was abused as a child by his Bible teacher. NBC 7's Rory Devine reports on Oct. 30, 2014. (Published Thursday, Oct 30, 2014)

A $13.5 million judgment was awarded Wednesday to a San Diego man who says he was the childhood victim of “very aggressive abuse” at the hands of his Bible study teacher.

As for Campos, Zalkin said he is in Mexico, where he moved as soon as they started investigating this case.

Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135M-Awarded-to-Bible-Teacher-Gonzalo-Campos-Alleged-Abuse-Victim-Jose-Lopez-281031832.html#ixzz3HrTjzRgq

Lawsuit Awards Man $13.5 Million In Jehovah's Witness Sex Abuse Case

Sarah Adams31 OCTOBER, 2014

http://www.christiantimes.com/article/lawsuit.awards.man.13.5.million.in.jehovahs.witness.sex.abuse.case/49231.htm

A recent lawsuit settlement in San Diego, California awarded a man $13.5 million after he claimed he was severely abused by the teacher of a Bible study when he was a youth.

35-year-old Jose Lopez alleged in the lawsuit that Gonzalo Campos, a teacher and leader at Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and Playa Pacifica Spanish Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, sexually abused him and other children in the 1980's and 1990's.

According to NBC San Diego, most of the money awarded to Lopez through the court ruling comes from the entities that oversee the Jehovah Witness denomination. The judge said in his ruling that these were the responsible parties in Lopez's abuse because of how they failed to handle the incident.

"Damages that reflect the reprehensible conduct of the Watchtower in how they covered this up for years and allowed multiple children to be injured," Lopez's attorney Irwin Zalkin told NBC 7, referencing the umbrella group Watchtower Bible that oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses. "They protected and harbored a criminal."

Another bombshell lawsuit was filed against the Jehovah's Witness in Plano, Texas recently, where lawyers filed a civil lawsuit against Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc. for sexual abuse that occurred in Plano, Greenville and Dallas.

"[WBTS is] the top of the chain of command; they oversee and are involved in the decision-making ... daily function – everything has to be approved," Steven Schulte, a lawyer with the Turley Law Firm in Plano, Texas, said of the lawsuit. "They are intimately involved […] have absolute authority over the congregation and had every reason to know [of the abuse]."

$13.5 million judgment against Jehovah's Witnesses in child abuse case

Victim was 7 when he reported molestation in 1986

2:43 PM, Oct 31, 2014

http://www.10news.com/news/135-million-judgment-against-jehovahs-witnesses-in-child-abuse-case

SAN DIEGO - A $13.5 million judgment was handed down in San Diego Superior Court against Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, which oversees Jehovah's Witnesses.

It is specific to allegations of abuse of a 7-year-old boy who attended the Spanish Congregation bible study at the Jehovah's Witnesses church in Linda Vista.

Team 10 uncovered the story last year; Gonzalo Campos, a leader of those classes, admitted abusing children on a video deposition and avoided prosecution by fleeing to Mexico.

Attorney Irwin Zalkin said there are many victims protected by secrecy within the church.

"This problem of childhood sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses organization is insidious and it is an epidemic. $10,500,000 of that is punitive damages; intended to punish them, to send a message that their type of conduct is reckless and reprehensible and needs to stop."

Watchtower issued this statement:

"Jehovah's Witnesses will appeal the decision of a California judge in a case involving an alleged act of child abuse.

The trial court judge rendered a multimillion-dollar damage award to a man who claims that he was molested once in 1986 by one of Jehovah's Witnesses who held no position of responsibility in the congregation. The trial court judge awarded $3 million in compensatory damages against Watchtower and added $10.5 million in punitive damages following a hearing at which Watchtower was barred from participating. Watchtower believes the appellate court will ultimately agree that the trial court abused its discretion by terminating its right to defend itself in this case."

Mario Moreno, associate general counsel for Watchtower, also commented: "Jehovah's Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts. The trial judge's decision is a drastic action for any judge to take given the circumstances of this case. We will seek a full review of this case on appeal."

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

NEWS 6

y Jenny Day

Story Updated: Oct 31, 2014 at 9:55 AM PDT

A multi-million dollar settlement has been announced in a child sex abuse case. The abuse happened more than 25 years ago, but didn't come to light until recently.

It was a seven-year-old and a minister. And for years, the Jehovah's Witnesses have been accused of covering up the crimes. At 10:30 Friday morning, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society - who oversees the Jehovah's Witnesses will pay this victim $13.5 million.

This victim was a member of the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses back in 1986.

The minister of the bible study admitted to abusing children, but avoided prosecution by fleeing to Mexico.

The victim's attorney says the church never reported it to police, and that there are more secrets to come.

"This problem of childhood sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses organization is insidious and it is an epidemic."

The attorney of the Watch Tower says Jehovah's Witnesses do not tolerate child abuse.

Stay with www.sandiego6.com for updates. This story will also air on San Diego 6 News at 10 p.m.