Allard v. Church of Scientology , 58 Cal.App.3d 439
[Civ. No. 45562. Court of Appeals of California, Second Appellate District,
Division
Two. May 18, 1976.]
L. GENE ALLARD, Plaintiff, Cross-defendant and Respondent, v. CHURCH OF
SCIENTOLOGY
OF CALIFORNIA, Defendant, Cross-complainant and Appellant
(Opinion by Beach, J., with Roth, P. J., and Fleming, J., concurring.)
COUNSEL
Morgan, Wenzel & McNicholas, John P. McNicholas, Gerald E. Agnew, Jr.,
and Charles B. O'Reilly for Plaintiff, Cross-defendant and Respondent.
Levine & Krom, Meldon E. Levine, Murchison, Cumming, Baker & Velpmen,
Murchison, Cumming & Baker, Michael B. Lawler, Tobias C. Tolzmann and Joel
Kreiner for Defendant, Cross-complainant and Appellant.
OPINION
BEACH, J.
Gene Allard sued the Church of Scientology for malicious prosecution.
Defendant
cross-complained for conversion. A jury verdict and judgment were entered for
Allard on the complaint for $50,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in
punitive
damages. Judgment was entered for Allard and against the Church of Scientology
on the cross-complaint. Defendant-cross complainant appeals from the judgment.
Facts:
The evidence in the instant case is very conflicting. We relate those facts
supporting the successful party and disregard the contrary showing. (Nestle v.
City of Santa Monica, 6 Cal.3d 920, 925-926 [101 Cal.Rptr. 568, 496 P.2d 480].)
In March 1969, L. Gene Allard became involved with the Church of Scientology
in Texas. He joined Sea Org in Los Angeles and was sent to San Diego for
training.
While there, he signed a billion-year contract agreeing to do anything to help
Scientology and to help clear the planet of the "reactive people."
During
this period he learned about written policy directives that were the "
policy"
of the church, emanating from L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of
Scientology.
fn. 1 After training on the ship, respondent was assigned to the Advanced
Organization
in Los Angeles, where he became the director of disbursements. He later became
the Flag Banking Officer. [58 Cal.App.3d 444]
Alan Boughton, Flag Banking Officer International, was respondent's superior.
Only respondent and Boughton knew the combination to the safe kept in
respondent's
office. Respondent handled foreign currency, American cash, and various
travelers'
checks as part of his job.
In May or June 1969, respondent told Boughton that he wanted to leave the
church.
Boughton asked him to reconsider. Respondent wrote a memo and later a note; he
spoke to the various executive officers. They told him that the only way he could
get out of Sea Org was to go through "auditing" and to get direct
permission
from L. Ron Hubbard. Respondent wrote to Hubbard. A chaplain of the church came
to see him. Lawrence Krieger, the highest ranking justice official of the church
in California, told respondent that if he left without permission, he would be
fair game and "You know we'll come and find you and we'll bring you back,
and we'll deal with you in whatever way is necessary."
On the night of June 7 or early morning of June 8, 1969, respondent went to
his office at the Church of Scientology and took several documents from the safe.
These documents were taken by him to the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City;
he used them to allege improper changes in the records of the church. He denies
that any Swiss francs were in the safe that night or that he took such Swiss
francs.
Furthermore, respondent denies the allegation that he stole various travelers'
checks from the safe. He admitted that some travelers' checks had his signature
as an endorsement, but maintains that he deposited those checks into an open
account
of the Church of Scientology. There is independent evidence that tends to
corroborate
that statement. Respondent, having borrowed his roommate's car, drove to the
airport
and flew to Kansas City, where he turned over the documents to the Internal
Revenue
Service.
Respondent was arrested in Florida upon a charge of grand theft. Boughton had
called the Los Angeles Police Department to report that $23,000 in Swiss francs
was missing. Respondent was arrested in Florida; he waived extradition and was
in jail for 21 days. Eventually, the charge was dismissed. The deputy district
attorney in Los Angeles recommended a dismissal in the interests of justice. fn.
2 [58 Cal.App.3d 445]
Contentions on Appeal:
1. Respondent's trial counsel engaged in flagrant misconduct throughout the
proceedings below and thereby deprived appellant of a fair trial.
2. The verdict below was reached as a result of (a) counsel's ascription to
appellant of a religious belief and practices it did not have and (b) the
distortion
and disparagement of its religious character, and was not based upon the merits
of this case. To allow a judgment thereby achieved to stand would constitute a
violation of appellant's free exercise of religion.
3. Respondent failed to prove that appellant maliciously prosecuted him and
therefore the judgment notwithstanding the verdict should have been granted.
4. The refusal of the trial court to ask or permit voir dire questions of
prospective
jurors pertaining to their religious prejudices or attitudes deprived appellant
of a fair trial.
5. It was prejudicial error to direct the jury, in its assessment of the
malicious
prosecution claim, to disregard evidence that respondent stole appellant's
Australian
and American Express travelers' checks.
6. The order of the trial court in denying to appellant discovery of the
factual
basis for the obtaining of a dismissal by the district attorney of the criminal
case People v. Allard was an abuse of discretion and a new trial should be
granted
and proper discovery permitted.
7. Respondent presented insufficient evidence to support the award of $50,000
in compensatory damages which must have been awarded because of prejudice against
appellant.
8. Respondent failed to establish corporate direction or ratification and also
failed to establish knowing falsity and is therefore not entitled to any punitive
damages.
9. Even if the award of punitive damages was proper in this case, the size
of the instant reward, which would deprive appellant church of more [58
Cal.App.3d
446] than 40 percent of its net worth, is grossly excessive on the facts of this
case.
10. There was lack of proper instruction regarding probable cause. fn. 3
Discussion:
1. There was no prejudicial misconduct by respondent's trial counsel, and
appellant
was not deprived of a fair trial.
Appellant claims that it was denied a fair trial through the statements,
questioning,
and introduction of certain evidence by respondent's trial counsel. Love v. Wolf,
226 Cal.App.2d 378 [38 Cal.Rptr. 183], is cited as authority.
We have reviewed the entire record and find appellant's contentions to be
without
merit. Several of counsel's individual statements and questions were
inappropriate.
However, there often were no objections by counsel for appellant where an
objection
and subsequent admonition would have cured any defect; or there was an objection,
and the trial court judiciously admonished the jury to disregard the comment.
Except for these minor and infrequent aberrations, the record reveals an
exceptionally
well-conducted and dispassionate trial based on the evidence presented.
As in Stevens v. Parke, Davis & Co., 9 Cal.3d 51, 72 [107 Cal.Rptr. 45,
507 P.2d 653], a motion for a new trial was made, based in part upon the alleged
misconduct of opposing counsel at trial. [1] What was said in Stevens applies
to the instant case. "'A trial judge is in a better position than an
appellate
court to determine whether a verdict resulted wholly, or in part, from the
asserted
misconduct of counsel and his conclusion in the matter will not be disturbed
unless,
under all the circumstances, it is plainly wrong.' [Citation.] From our review
of the instant record, we agree with the trial judge's assessment of the conduct
of plaintiff's counsel and for the reasons stated above, we are of the opinion
that defendant has failed to demonstrate prejudicial misconduct on the part of
such counsel." (Stevens v. Parke, Davis & Co., supra, 9 Cal.3d at p.
72.)
2. The procedure and verdict below does not constitute a violation of
appellant's
First Amendment free exercise of religion. [58 Cal.App.3d 447]
[2] Appellant contends that various references to practices of the Church of
Scientology were not supported by the evidence, were not legally relevant, and
were unduly prejudicial. The claim is made that the trial became one of
determining
the validity of a religion rather than the commission of a tort.
The references to which appellant now objects were to such practices as "
E-meters,"
tin cans used as E-meters, the creation of religious doctrine purportedly to
"get"
dissidents, and insinuations that the Church of Scientology was a great money
making business rather than a religion.
The principal issue in this trial was one of credibility. If one believed
defendant's
witnesses, then there was indeed conversion by respondent. However, the opposite
result, that reached by the jury, would naturally follow if one believed the
evidence
introduced by respondent. Appellant repeatedly argues that the introduction of
the policy statements of the church was prejudicial error. However, those policy
statements went directly to the issue of credibility. Scientologists were allowed
to trick, sue, lie to, or destroy "enemies." (Exhibit 1.) If, as he
claims, respondent was considered to be an enemy, that policy was indeed relevant
to the issues of this case. That evidence well supports the jury's implied
conclusion
that respondent had not taken the property of the church, that he had merely
attempted
to leave the church with the documents for the Internal Revenue Service, and that
those witnesses who were Scientologists or had been Scientologists were following
the policy of the church and lying to, suing and attempting to destroy
respondent.
Evidence of such policy statements were damaging to appellant, but they were
entirely
relevant. They were not prejudicial. A party whose reprehensible acts are the
cause of harm to another and the reason for the lawsuit by the other cannot be
heard to complain that its conduct is so bad that it should not be disclosed.
The relevance of appellant's conduct far outweighs any claimed prejudice. fn.
4
We find the introduction of evidence of the policy statements and other
peripheral
mention of practices of the Church of Scientology not to be error. In the few
instances where mention of religious practices may have been slightly less
germane
than the policy statements regarding fair game, they were nonetheless relevant
and there was no prejudice to appellant by the introduction of such evidence.
[58 Cal.App.3d 448]
3. The trial court properly denied the motion for judgment notwithstanding
the verdict.
[3] Appellant claimed that it had probable cause to file suit against
respondent.
The claim is made that even if Alan Boughton did take the checks from the safe,
knowledge of that act should not be imputed to appellant church.
Based on the policy statements of appellant that were introduced in evidence,
a jury could infer that Boughton was within the scope of his employment when he
stole the francs from the safe or lied about respondent's alleged theft.
Inferences
can be drawn that the church, through its agents, was carrying out its own policy
of fair game in its actions against respondent. Given that view of the evidence,
which as a reviewing court we must accept, there is substantial evidence proving
that appellant maliciously prosecuted respondent. Therefore, the trial court did
not err in denying the motion for the judgment notwithstanding the verdict.
4. The trial court performed proper voir dire of prospective jurors.
[4] Appellant claims that the trial court refused to ask or permit voir dire
questions of prospective jurors pertaining to their religious prejudices or
attitudes.
The record does not so indicate. Each juror was asked if he or she had any belief
or feeling toward any of the parties that might be regarded as a bias or
prejudice
for or against any of them. Each juror was also asked if he or she had ever heard
of the Church of Scientology. If the juror answered affirmatively, he or she was
further questioned as to the extent of knowledge regarding Scientology and
whether
such knowledge would hinder the rendering of an impartial decision. One juror
was excused when she explained that her husband is a clergyman and that she knows
a couple that was split over the Church of Scientology.
[5] The trial court's thorough questioning served the purpose of voir dire,
which is to select a fair and impartial jury, not to educate the jurors or to
determine the exercise of peremptory challenges. (Rousseau v. West Coast House
Movers, 256 Cal.App.2d 878, 882 [64 Cal.Rptr. 655].)
5. It was not prejudicial error to direct the jury, in its assessment of the
malicious prosecution claim, to disregard evidence that respondent stole
appellant's
Australian and American Express travelers' checks. [58 Cal.App.3d 449]
[6] Appellant submits that evidence of respondent's purported theft of the
Australian and American Express travelers' checks should have been admitted as
to the issue of malicious prosecution as well as the cross-complaint as to
conversion.
If there were any error in this regard, it could not possibly be prejudicial
since
the jury found for respondent on the cross-complaint. It is evident that the jury
did not believe that respondent stole the travelers' checks; therefore, there
could be no prejudice to appellant by the court's ruling.
6. Appellant suffered no prejudice by the trial court's denial of discovery
of the factual basis for obtaining of the dismissal by the district attorney.
[7] Prior to trial, appellant apparently sought to discover the reasons
underlying
the dismissal of the criminal charges against respondent. This was relevant to
the instant case since one of the elements of a cause of action for malicious
prosecution is that the criminal prosecution against the plaintiff shall have
been favorably terminated. (Jaffe v. Stone, 18 Cal.2d 146 [114 P.2d 335, 135
A.L.R.
775].)
Whether or not the lower court was justified in making such an order, the
denial
of discovery along these lines could not be prejudicial. During the trial,
counsel
for all parties stipulated that the criminal proceedings against Allard were
terminated
in his favor by a dismissal by a judge of that court upon the recommendation of
the district attorney.
In addition, there was a hearing outside the presence of the jury in which
the trial court inquired of the deputy district attorney as to the reasons for
the dismissal. It was apparent at that time that the prospective witnesses for
the Church of Scientology were considered to be evasive. There was no prejudice
to appellant since the deputy district attorney was available at trial. Earlier
knowledge of the information produced would not have helped defendant. We find
no prejudicial error in the denial of this discovery motion.
7. The award of $50,000 compensatory damages was proper.
Appellant contends that based upon the evidence presented at trial, the
compensatory
damage award is excessive. In addition, appellant contends that the trial court
erred in not allowing appellant to introduce evidence of respondent's prior bad
reputation. [58 Cal.App.3d 450]
[8a] There was some discussion at trial as to whether respondent was going
to claim damaged reputation as part of general damages. The trial court's initial
reaction was to allow evidence only of distress or emotional disturbance; in
return
for no evidence of damaged reputation, appellant would not be able to introduce
evidence of prior bad reputation. The court, however, relying on the case of Clay
v. Lagiss, 143 Cal.App.2d 441 [299 P.2d 1025], held that lack of damage to
reputation
is not admissible. Therefore, respondent was allowed to claim damage to
reputation
without allowing appellant to introduce evidence of his prior bad reputation.
In matters of slander that are libelous per se, for example the charging of
a crime, general damages have been presumed as a matter of law. (Douglas v.
Janis,
43 Cal.App.3d 931, 940 [4] [118 Cal.Rptr. 280], citing Clay v. Lagiss, supra,
143 Cal.App.2d at p. 448. Compare Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 [41
L.Ed.2d 789, 94 S.Ct. 2997].) fn. 5 [9] Damages in malicious prosecution actions
are similar to those in defamation. Therefore, damage to one's reputation can
be presumed from a charge, such as that in the instant case that a person
committed
the crime of theft. [8b] In any event, as the trial court in the instant case
noted, there was no offer of proof regarding respondent's prior bad reputation;
any refusal to allow possible evidence on that subject has not been shown to be
error, much less prejudicial error.
[10] Appellant further contends that the amount of compensatory damages
awarded
was excessive and that the jury was improperly instructed regarding compensatory
damages. The following modified version of BAJI Nos. 14.00 and 14.13 was given:
"If, under the court's instructions, you find that plaintiff is entitled
to a verdict against defendant, you must then award plaintiff damages in an
amount
that will reasonably compensate him for each of the following elements of loss
or harm, which in this case are presumed to flow from [58 Cal.App.3d 451] the
defendant's conduct without any proof of such harm or loss: damage to reputation,
humiliation and emotional distress.
"No definite standard or method of calculation is prescribed by law to
fix reasonable compensation for these presumed elements of damage. Nor is the
opinion of any witness required as to the amount of such reasonable compensation.
Furthermore, the argument of counsel as to the amount of damages is not evidence
of reasonable compensation. In making an award for damage to reputation,
humiliation
and emotional distress, you shall exercise your authority with calm and
reasonable
judgment, and the damages you find shall be just and reasonable."
The following instruction was requested by defendant and was rejected by the
trial court: "The amount of compensatory damages should compensate plaintiff
for actual injury suffered. The law will not put the plaintiff in a better
position
than he would be in had the wrong not been done." Accompanying the request
for that motion is a citation to Staub v. Muller, 7 Cal.2d 221 [60 P.2d 283],
and Basin Oil Co. v. Baash-Ross Tool Co., 125 Cal.App.2d 578 [271 P.2d 122].
The Supreme Court has recognized that "Damages potentially recoverable
in a malicious prosecution action are substantial. They include out-of-pocket
expenditures, such as attorney's and other legal fees ...; business losses ...;
general harm to reputation, social standing and credit ...; mental and bodily
harm ...; and exemplary damages where malice is shown ...." (Babb v.
Superior
Court, 3 Cal.3d 841, 848, fn. 4 [92 Cal.Rptr. 179, 479 P.2d 379].) While these
damages are compensable, it is the determination of the damages by the jury with
which we are concerned. Appellant seems to contend that the jury must have actual
evidence of the damages suffered and the monetary amount thereof.
"'The determination of the jury on the issue of damages is conclusive
on appeal unless the amount thereof is so grossly excessive that it can be
reasonably
imputed solely to passion or prejudice in the jury. [Citations.]'" (Douglas
v. Janis, supra, 43 Cal.App.3d at p. 940.) The presumed damage to respondent's
reputation from an unfounded charge of theft, along with imprisonment for 21
days,
and the mental and emotional anguish that must have followed are such that we
cannot say that the jury's finding of $50,000 in compensatory damages is
unjustified.
[58 Cal.App.3d 452] The amount does not alone demonstrate that it was the result
of passion and prejudice.
8. Respondent is entitled to punitive damages.
[11] Appellant cites the general rule that although an employer may be held
liable for an employee's tort under the doctrine of respondeat superior,
ordinarily
he cannot be made to pay punitive damages where he neither authorized nor
ratified
the act. (4 Witkin, Summary of Cal. Law. (8th ed.) § 855, p. 3147.) fn. 6
Appellant claims that the Church of Scientology, which is the corporate defendant
herein, never either authorized or ratified the malicious prosecution.
The finding of authorization may be based on many grounds in the instant case.
For example, the fair game policy itself was initiated by L. Ron Hubbard, the
founder and chief official in the church. (Exhibit 1.) It was an official
authorization
to treat "enemies" in the manner in which respondent herein was treated
by the Church of Scientology.
Furthermore, all the officials of the church to whom respondent relayed his
desire to leave were important managerial employees of the corporation. (See 4
Witkin, Summary of Cal. Law (8th ed.) supra, § 857, p. 3148.)
The trier of fact certainly could have found authorization by the corporation
of the act involved herein.
9. The award of punitive damages.
[12] Any party whose tenets include lying and cheating in order to attack its
"enemies" deserves the results of the risk which such conduct entails.
On the other hand, this conduct may have so enraged the jury that the award of
punitive damages may have been more the result of [58 Cal.App.3d 453] feelings
of animosity, rather than a dispassionate determination of an amount necessary
to assess defendant in order to deter it from similar conduct in the future. In
our view the disparity between the compensatory damages ($50,000) and the
punitive
damages ($250,000) suggests that animosity was the deciding factor. Our reading
of the decisional authority compels us to conclude that we should reduce the
punitive
damages. We find $50,000 to be a reasonable amount to which the punitive damages
should be reduced. We perceive this duty, and have so modified the punitive
damages
award not with any belief that a reviewing court more ably may perform it. fn.
7 [13] Simply stated the decisional authority seems to indicate that the
reviewing
court should examine punitive damages and where necessary modify the amount in
order to do justice. (Cunningham v. Simpson, 1 Cal.3d 301 [81 Cal.Rptr. 855, 461
P.2d 39]; Forte v. Nolfi, 25 Cal.App.3d 656 [102 Cal.Rptr. 455]; Shroeder v. Auto
Driveaway Company, 11 Cal.3d 908 [114 Cal.Rptr. 622, 523 P.2d 662]; Livesey v.
Stock, 208 Cal. 315, 322 [281 P. 70].)
10. Instruction on probable cause.
Appellant requested an instruction stating: "Where it is proven that a
judge has had a preliminary hearing and determined that the facts and evidence
show probable cause to believe the plaintiff guilty of the offense charged
therefore,
ordering the plaintiff to answer a criminal complaint, this is prima facie
evidence
of the existence of probable cause." The trial court gave the following
instruction:
"The fact that plaintiff was held to answer the charge of grand theft after
a preliminary hearing is evidence tending to show that the initiator of the
charge
had probable cause. This fact is to be considered by you along with all the other
evidence tending to show probable cause or the lack thereof." fn. 8
Appellant claimed for the first time in its reply brief that the trial court's
lack of proper instruction regarding probable cause was prejudicial error. Since
this issue was raised for the first time in appellant's reply brief, we decline
to review the issue. fn. 9 [58 Cal.App.3d 454]
The judgment is modified by reducing the award of punitive damages only, from
$250,000 to the sum of $50,000. As modified the judgment is in all other respects
affirmed.
Costs on appeal are awarded to respondent Allard.
Roth, P. J., and Fleming, J., concurred.
FN 1. One such policy, to be enforced against "enemies" or
"suppressive
persons" was that formerly titled "fair game." That person "
[m]ay
be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any
discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or
destroyed."
(Exhibit 1.)
FN 2. Leonard J. Shaffer, the deputy district attorney, testified outside
the presence of the jury that members of the church were evasive in answering
his questions. He testified that the reasons for the dismissal were set forth
in his recommendation; the dismissal was not part of a plea bargain or procedural
or jurisdictional issue.
FN 3. This issue is raised for the first time in appellant's reply brief.
FN 4. The trial court gave appellant almost the entire trial within which
to produce evidence that the fair game policy had been repealed. Appellant failed
to do so, and the trial court thereafter permitted the admission of Exhibit 1
into evidence.
FN 5. The Supreme Court held in Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., supra, 418
U.S. 323, 349 [41 L.Ed.2d 789, 810], an action for defamation, that "the
States may not permit recovery of presumed or punitive damages, at least when
liability is not based on a showing of knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard
for the truth." (Italics added.) The instant case is distinguishable from
Gertz. Initially, the interests protected by a suit for malicious prosecution
include misuse of the judicial system itself; a party should not be able to claim
First Amendment protection maliciously to prosecute another person. Secondly,
the jury in the instant case must have found "knowledge of falsity or
reckless
disregard for the truth" in order to award punitive damages herein.
Therefore,
even under Gertz, a finding of presumed damages is not unconstitutional.
FN 6. We again note that Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., supra, precludes
the award of punitive damages in defamation actions "at least when liability
is not based on a showing of knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the
truth." The facts of the instant case fall within that categorization, so
a finding of punitive damages was proper. Moreover, as we noted above, an
egregious
case of malicious prosecution subjects the judicial system itself to abuse,
thereby
interfering with the constitutional rights of all litigants. Punitive damages
may therefore be more easily justified in cases of malicious prosecution than
in cases of defamation. The societal interests competing with First Amendment
considerations are more compelling in the former case.
FN 7. See dissent in Cunningham v. Simpson, 1 Cal.3d 301 [81 Cal.Rptr.
855, 461 P.2d 39].
FN 8. This instruction was given on the court's own motion.
FN 9. We note that given the circumstances of the instant case, the juror
could have easily been misled by the requested instruction. If the evidence
showed
that the agents and employees of appellant were lying, then the preliminary
hearing
at which they also testified would not be valid. While the jurors may of course
consider that the magistrate at the preliminary hearing found probable cause,
that should be in no way conclusive in the jury's determination of probable
cause.