Gerry Armstrong--Breckenridge Decision

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[CT 5948]

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY OF CALIFORNIA,

Plaintiff,

vs.

GERALD ARMSTRONG,

Defendant.

MARY SUE HUBBARD,

Intervenor.

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No. C 420153

MEMORANDUM OF
INTENDED DECISION

In this matter heretofore taken under submission, the

Court announces its intended decision as follows:

As to the tort causes of action, plaintiff, and plaintiff

in intervention are to take nothing, and the defendant is entitled

to Judgment and costs.

As to the equitable actions, the court finds that neither

plaintiff has clean hands, and that at least as of this time,

are not entitled to the immediate return of any document or

objects previously retained by the court clerk. All exhibits

-1-

[CT 5949]

received in evidence or marked for identification, unless

specifically ordered sealed ¹, are matters of public record and

shall be available for public inspection or use to the same

extent that any exhibit would be available in any other

lawsuit. In other words they are to be treated henceforth no

differently than similar exhibits in other cases in Superior

Court. Furthermore, the "inventory list and description," of

materials turned over by Armstrong's attorneys to the court,

shall not be considered or deemed to be confidential, private,

or under seal.

All other documents or objects presently in the possession

of the clerk (not marked herein as court exhibits) shall be

retained by the clerk, subject to the same orders as are

presently in effect as to sealing and inspection, until such

time as trial court proceedings are concluded as to the severed

cross complaint. For the purposes of this Judgment, conclusion

will occur when any motion for a new trial has been denied, or

the time within such a motion must be brought has expired

without such motion being made. At that time, all documents

neither received in evidence, nor marked for identification

only, shall be released by the clerk to plaintiff's

representatives. Notwithstanding this order, the parties may

1. Exhibits in evidence No. 500-40; JJJ; KKK; LLL; MMM;
NNN; OOO; PPP; QQQ; RRR; and 500-QQQQ.

Exhibits for identification only No. JJJJ; Series
500-DDDD, EEEE, FFFF, GGGG, HHHH, IIII, NNNN-1, OOOO, ZZZZ,
CCCCC, GGGGG, IIIII, KKKKK, LLLLL, OOOOO, PPPPP, QQQQQ, BBBBBB,
OOOOOO, BBBBBBB.

-2-

[CT 5950]

at any time by written stipulation filed with the clerk obtain

release of any or all unused materials.

Defendant and his counsel are free to speak or communicate

upon any of Defendant Armstrong's recollections of his life as

a Scientologist or the contents of any exhibit received in

evidence or marked for identification and not specifically

ordered sealed. As to all documents, and other materials held

under seal by the clerk, counsel and the defendant shall remain

subject to the same injunctions as presently exist, at least

until the conclusion of the proceedings on the cross complaint.

However, in any other legal proceedings in which defense

counsel, or any of them, is of record, such counsel shall have

the right to discuss exhibits under seal, or their contents, if

such is reasonably necessary and incidental to the proper

representation of his or her client.

Further, if any court of competent jurisdiction orders

defendant or his attorney to testify concerning the fact of any

such exhibit, document, object, or its contents, such testimony

shall be given, and no violation of this order will occur.

Likewise, defendant and his counsel may discuss the contents of

any documents under seal or of any matters as to which this

court has found to be privileged as between the parties hereto,

with any duly constituted Governmental Law Enforcement Agency

or submit any exhibits or declarations thereto concerning such

document or materials, without violating any order of this

court.

///

-3-

[CT 5951]

This court will retain jurisdiction to enforce, modify,

alter, or terminate any injunction included within the

Judgment.

Counsel for defendant is ordered to prepare, serve, and

file a Judgment on the Complaint and Complaint in Intervention,

and Statement of Decision if timely and properly requested,

consistent with the court's intended decision.

Discussion

The court has found the facts essentially as set forth in

defendant's trial brief, which as modified, is attached as an

appendix to this memorandum. In addition the court finds that

while working for L.R. Hubbard (hereinafter referred to as

LRH), the defendant also had an informal employer-employee

relationship with plaintiff Church, but had permission and

authority from plaintiffs and LRH to provide Omar Garrison with

every document or object that was made available to Mr.

Garrison, and further, had permission from Omar Garrison to

take and deliver to his attorneys the documents and materials

which were subsequently delivered to them and thenceforth into

the custody of the County Clerk.

Plaintiff Church has made out a prima facie case of

conversion (as bailee of the materials), breach of fiduciary

duty, and breach of confidence (as the former employer who

provided confidential materials to its then employee for

certain specific purposes, which the employee later used for

other purposes to plaintiff's detriment). Plaintiff Mary Jane

Hubbard has likewise made out a prima facie case of conversion

-4-

[CT 5952]

and invasion of privacy (misuse by a person of private matters

entrusted to him for certain specific purposes only).

While defendant has asserted various theories of defense,

the basic thrust of his testimony is that he did what he did,

because he believed that his life, physical and mental well

being, as well as that of his wife were threatened because the

organization was aware of what he knew about the life of LRH,

the secret machinations and financial activities of the Church,

and his dedication to the truth. He believed that the only way

he could defend himself, physically as well as from harassing

lawsuits, was to take from Omar Garrison those materials which

would support and corroborate everything that he had been

saying within the Church about LRH and the Church, or refute

the allegations made against him in the April 22 Suppressive

Person Declare. He believed that the only way he could be sure

that the documents would remain secure for his future use was

to send them to his attorneys, and that to protect himself, he

had to go public so as to minimize the risk that LRH, the

Church, or any of their agents would do him physical harm.

This conduct if reasonably believed by the defendant and

engaged in by him in good faith, finds support as a defense to

the plaintiff's charges in the Restatements of Agency, Torts,

and case law.

Restatement of Agency, Second, provides:

" Section 395f: An agent is privileged to reveal

information confidentially acquired by him in the course

of his agency in the protection of a superior interest of

himself or a third person."

-5-

[CT 5953]

" Section 418: An agent is privileged to protect

interests of his own which are superior to those of the

principal, even though he does so at the expense of the

principal's interest or in disobedience to his orders."

Restatement of torts, Second, section 271:

" One is privileged to commit an act which would

otherwise be a trespass to or a conversion of a chattel in

the possession of another, for the purpose of defending

himself or a third person against the other, under the

same conditions which would afford a privilege to inflict

harmful or offensive contact upon the other for the same

purpose."

The Restatement of Torts, Second, section 652a, as well

as case law, make it clear that not all invasions of privacy are

unlawful or tortious. It is only when the invasion is

unreasonable that it becomes actionable. Hence, the trier of

fact must engage in a balancing test, weighing the nature and

extent of the invasion, as against the purported justification

therefore to determine whether in a given case, the particular

invasion was unreasonable.

In addition the defendant has asserted as defense the

principal involved in the case of Willig v. Gold, 75

Cal.App.2d, 809, 814, which holds that an agent has a right or

privilege to disclose his principal's dishonest acts to the

party prejudicially affected by them.

Plaintiff Church has asserted and obviously has certain

rights arising out of the First Amendment. Thus, the court

cannot, and has not inquired into or attempted to evaluate the

-6-

[CT 5954]

merits, accuracy, or truthfulness of Scientology or any of its

precepts as a religion. First Amendment rights, however,

cannot be utilized by the Church or its members, as a sword to

preclude the defendant, whom the Church is suing, from

defending himself. Therefore, the actual practices of the

Church or its members, as it relates to the reasonableness of

the defendant's conduct and his state of mind are relevant,

admissible, and have been considered by the court.

As indicated by its factual findings, the court finds the

Testimony of Gerald and Jocelyn Armstrong, Laurel Sullivan,

Nancy Dincalcis, Edward Walters, Omar Garrison, Kima Douglas,

and Howard Schomer to be credible, extremely persuasive, and

the defense of privilege or justification established and

corroborated by this evidence. Obviously, there are some

discrepancies or variations in recollections, but these are the

normal problems which arise from lapse of time, or from

different people viewing matters or events from different

perspectives. In all critical and important matters, their

testimony was precise, accurate, and rang true. The picture

painted by these former dedicated Scientologists, all of whom

were intimately involved with LRH, or Mary Jane Hubbard, or of

the Scientology Organization, is on the one hand pathetic, and

on the other, outrageous. Each of these persons literally gave

years of his or her respective life in support of a man, LRH,

and his ideas. Each has manifested a waste and loss or

frustration which is incapable of description. Each has broken

with the movement for a variety of reasons, but at the same

time, each is, still bound by the knowledge that the Church has

-7-

[CT 5955]

in its possession his or her most inner thoughts and

confessions, all recorded in "pre-clear (P.C.) folders" or

other security files of the organization, and that the Church

or its minions is fully capable of intimidation or other

physical or psychological abuse if it suits their ends. The

record is replete with evidence of such abuse.

In 1970 a police agency of the French Government conducted

an investigation into Scientology and concluded, "this sect,

under the pretext of 'freeing humans' is nothing in reality but

a vast enterprise to extract the maximum amount of money from

its adepts by (use of) pseudo-scientific theories, by (use of)

'auditions' and 'stage settings' (lit. to 'create a theatrical

scene') pushed to extremes (a machine to detect lies, its own

particular phraseology . . ), to estrange adepts from their

families and to exercise a kind of blackmail against persons

who do not wish to continue with this sect."² From the

evidence presented to this court in 1984, at the very least,

similar conclusions can be drawn. In addition to violating and

abusing its own members civil rights, the organization over the

years with its "Fair Game" doctrine has harassed and abused

those persons not in the Church whom it perceives as enemies.

The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and

this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its

founder LRH. The evidence portrays a man who has been

virtually a pathological liar when it comes to his history,

2. (Exhibit 500-HHHHH)

-8-

[CT 5956]

background, and achievements. The writings and documents in

evidence additionally reflect his egoism, greed, avarice, lust

for power, and vindictiveness and aggressiveness against

persons perceived by him to be disloyal or hostile. At the

same time it appears that he is charismatic and highly capable

of motivating, organizing, controlling, manipulating, and

inspiring his adherents. He has been referred to during the

trial as a "genius," a "revered person," a man who was "viewed

by his followers in awe." Obviously, he is and has been a very

complex person, and that complexity is further reflected in his

alter ego, the Church of Scientology. Notwithstanding

protestations to the contrary, this court is satisfied that LRH

runs the Church in all ways through the Sea Organization, his

role of Commodore, and the Commodore's Messengers.³ He has, of

course, chosen to go into "seclusion," but he maintains contact

and control through the top messengers. Seclusion has its

light and dark side too. It adds to his mystique, and yet

shields him from accountability and subpoena or service of

summons.

LRH's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard is also plaintiff herein.

On the one hand she certainly appeared to be a pathetic

individual. She was forced from her post as Controller,

convicted and imprisoned as a felon, and deserted by her

husband. On the other hand her credibility leaves much to be

desired. She struck the familiar pose of not seeing, hearing,

3. See exhibit K: Flag Order 3729 - 15 September 1978
"Commodore's Messengers."

-9-

[CT 5957]

or knowing any evil. Yet she was the head of the Guardian

Office for years and among other things, authored the infamous

order "GO 121669"⁴ which directed culling of supposedly

confidential P.C. files/folders for purposes of internal

security. In her testimony she expressed the feeling that

defendant by delivering the documents, writings, letters to his

attorneys, subjected her to mental rape. The evidence is clear

and the court finds that defendant and Omar Garrison had

permission to utilize these documents for the purpose of

Garrison's proposed biography. The only other persons who were

shown any of the documents were defendant's attorneys, the

Douglasses, the Dincalcis, and apparently some documents

specifically affecting LRH's son "Nibs," were shown to "Nibs."

The Douglasses and Dincalcises were disaffected Scientologists

who had a concern for their own safety and mental security, and

were much in the same situation as defendant. They had not

been declared as suppressive, but Scientology had their P.C.

folders, as well as other confessions, and they were extremely

apprehensive. They did not see very many of the documents, and

it is not entirely clear which they saw. At any rate Mary Sue

Hubbard did not appear to be so much distressed by this fact,

as by the fact that Armstrong had given the documents to

Michael Flynn, whom the Church considered its foremost

4. Exhibit AAA

-10-

[CT 5958]

lawyer-enemy.⁵ However, just as the plaintiffs have First

Amendment rights, the defendant has a Constitutional right to

an attorney of his own choosing. In legal contemplation the

fact that defendant selected Mr. Flynn rather than some other

lawyer cannot by itself be tortious. In determining whether

the defendant unreasonably invaded Mrs. Hubbard's privacy, the

court is satisfied the invasion was slight, and the reasons and

justification for defendant's conduct manifest. Defendant was

told by Scientology to get an attorney. He was declared an

enemy by the Church. He believed, reasonably, that he was

subject to "fair game." The only way he could defend himself,

his integrity, and his wife was to take that which was

available to him and place it in a safe harbor, to wit, his

lawyer's custody. He may have indulged in overkill, in the

sense that he took voluminous materials, some of which appear

only marginally relevant to his defense. But he was not a

lawyer and cannot be held to that precise standard of judgment.

Further, at the time that he was accumulating the material, he

was terrified and undergoing severe emotional turmoil. The

court is satisfied that he did not unreasonably intrude upon

Mrs. Hubbard's privacy under the circumstances by in effect

simply making his knowledge that of his attorneys. It is, of

course, rather ironic that the person who authorized G.O. order

121669 should complain about an invasion of privacy. The

5. "No, I think my emotional distress and upset is the
fact that someone took papers and materials without my
authorization and then gave them to your Mr. Flynn."
Reporter's Transcript, p. 1006.

-11-

[CT 5959]

practice of culling supposedly confidential "P.C. folders or

files" to obtain information for purposes of intimidation

and or harassment is repugnant and outrageous. The Guardian's

Office, which plaintiff headed, was no respector of anyone's

civil rights, particularly that of privacy. Plaintiff Mary Sue

Hubbard's cause of action for conversion must fail for the same

reason as plaintiff Church. The documents were all together in

Omar Garrison's possession. There was no rational way the

defendant could make any distinction.

Insofar as the return of documents is concerned, matters

which are still under seal may have evidentiary value in the

trial of the cross complaint or in other third party

litigation. By the time that proceedings on the cross

complaint are concluded, the court's present feeling is that

those document or objects not used by that time should be

returned to the plaintiff. However the court will reserve

jurisdiction to reconsider that should circumstances warrant.

Dated: June 20, 1984

[Signed] Paul G. Breckenridge, Jr.
PAUL G. BRECKENRIDGE, JR.
Judge of the Superior Court

-12-

[CT 5960]

Appendix

Defendant Armstrong was involved with Scientology from

1969 through 1981, a period spanning 12 years. During that

time he was a dedicated and devoted member who revered the

founder, L. Ron Hubbard. There was little that Defendant

Armstrong would not do for Hubbard or the Organization. He

gave up formal education, one-third of his life, money and

anything he could give in order to further the goals of

Scientology, goals he believed were based upon the truth,

honesty, integrity of Hubbard and the Organization.

From 1971 through 1981, Defendant Armstrong was a member

of the Sea Organization, a group of highly trained

Scientologists who were considered the upper echelon of the

Scientology organization. During those years he was placed in

various locations, but it was never made clear to him exactly

which Scientology corporation he was working for. Defendant

Armstrong understood that, ultimately, he was working for L.

Ron Hubbard, who controlled all Scientology finances,

personnel, and operations while Defendant was in the Sea

Organization.

Beginning in 1979 Defendant Armstrong resided at Gilman

Hot Springs, California, in Hubbard's "Household Unit." The

Household Unit took care of the personal wishes and needs of

Hubbard at many levels. Defendant Armstrong acted as the L.

Ron Hubbard Renovations In-Charge and was responsible for

renovations, decoration, and maintenance of Hubbard's home and

office at Gilman Hot Springs.

///

-1-

[CT 5961]

In January of 1980 there was an announcement of a possible

raid to be made by the FBI or other law enforcement agencies of

the property. Everyone on the property was required by

Hubbard's representatives, the Commodore's Messengers, to go

through all documents located on the property and "vet" or

destroy anything which showed that Hubbard controlled

Scientology organizations, retained financial control, or was

issuing orders to people at Gilman Hot Springs.

A commercial paper shredder was rented and operated day

and night for two weeks to destroy hundreds of thousands of

pages of documents.

During the period of shredding, Brenda Black, the

individual responsible for storage of Hubbard's personal

belongings at Gilman Hot Sprints, came to Defendant Armstrong

with a box of documents and asked whether they were to be

shredded. Defendant Armstrong reviewed the documents and found

that they consisted of a wide variety of documents including

Hubbard's personal papers, diaries, and other writings from a

time before he started Dianetics in 1950, together with

documents belonging to third persons which had apparently been

stolen by Hubbard or his agents. Defendant Armstrong took the

documents from Ms. Black and placed them in a safe location on

the property. He then searched for and located another twenty

or more boxes containing similar materials, which were poorly

maintained.

On January 8, 1980, Defendant Armstrong wrote a petition

to Hubbard requesting his permission to perform the research

for a biography to be done about his life. The petition states

-2-

[CT 5962]

that Defendant Armstrong had located the subject materials and

lists of a number of activities he wished to perform in

connection with the biography research.

Hubbard approved the petition, and Defendant Armstrong

became the L. Ron Hubbard Personal Relations Officer Researcher

(PPRO Res). Defendant claims that this petition and its

approval forms the basis for a contract between Defendant and

Hubbard. Defendant Armstrong's supervisor was then Laurel

Sullivan, L. Ron Hubbard's Personal Public Relations Officer.

During the first part of 1980, Defendant Armstrong moved

all of the L. Ron Hubbard Archives materials he had located at

Gilman Hot Springs to an office in the Church of Scientology

Cedars Complex in Los Angeles. These materials comprised

approximately six file cabinets. Defendant Armstrong had

located himself in the Cedars Complex, because he was also

involved in "Mission Corporate Category Sort-Out," a mission to

work out legal strategy. Defendant Armstrong was involved with

this mission until June of 1980.

It was also during this early part of 1980 that Hubbard

left the location in Gilman Hot Springs, California, and went

into hiding. Although Defendant Armstrong was advised by

Laurel Sullivan that no one could communicate with Hubbard,

Defendant Armstrong knew that the ability for communication

existed, because he had forwarded materials to Hubbard at his

request in mid-1980.

Because of this purported inability to communicate with

Hubbard, Defendant Armstrong's request to purchase biographical

materials of Hubbard from people who offered them for sale went

-3-

[CT 5963]

to the Commodore's Messenger Organization, the personal

representatives of Hubbard.

In June of 1980 Defendant Armstrong became involved in the

selection of a writer for the Hubbard biography. Defendant

Armstrong learned that Hubbard had approved of a biography

proposal prepared by Omar Garrison, a writer who was not a

member of Scientology. Defendant Armstrong had meetings with

Mr. Garrison regarding the writing of the biography and what

documentation and assistance would be made available to him.

As understood by Mr. Garrison, Defendant Armstrong represented

Hubbard in these discussions.

Mr. Garrison was advised that the research material he

would have at his disposal were Hubbard's personal archives.

Mr. Garrison would only undertake a writing of the biography if

the materials provided to him were from Hubbard's personal

archives, and only if his manuscript was subject to the

approval of Hubbard himself.

In October of 1980 Mr. Garrison came to Los Angeles and

was toured through the Hubbard archives materials that

Defendant Armstrong had assembled up to that time. This was an

Important "selling point" in obtaining Mr. Garrison's agreement

to write the biography. On October 30, 1980, an agreement was

entered into between Ralston-Pilot, ncv. F/S/O Omar V.

Garrison, and AOSH DK Publications of Copenhagen, Denmark, for

the writing of a biography of Hubbard.

Paragraph 10B of the agreement states that:

" Publisher shall use its best efforts to provide

Author with an office, an officer assistant and/or

-4-

[CT 5964]

research assistant, office supplies and any needed

archival and interview materials in connection with

the writing of the Work."

The "research assistant" provided to Mr. Garrison was

Defendant Armstrong.

During 1980 Defendant Armstrong exchanged correspondence

with Intervenor regarding the biography project. Following his

approval by Hubbard as biography researcher, Defendant

Armstrong wrote to Intervenor on February 5, 1980, advising her

of the scope of the project. In the letter Defendant stated

that he had found documents which included Hubbard's diary from

his Orient trip, poems, essays from his youth, and several

personal letters, as well as other things.

By letter of February 11, 1980, Intervenor responded to

Defendant, acknowledging that he would be carrying out the

Duties of Biography Researcher.

On October 14, 1980, Defendant Armstrong again wrote to

Intervenor, updating her on "Archives materials" and proposing

certain guidelines for the handling of those materials.

It was Intervenor who, in early 1981, ordered certain

biographical materials from "Controller Archives" to be

delivered to Defendant Armstrong. These materials consisted of

several letters written by Hubbard in the 1920's and 1930's,

Hubbard's Boy Scout books and materials, several old Hubbard

family photographs, a diary kept by Hubbard in his youth, and

several other items.

Defendant Armstrong received these materials upon the

Order of Intervenor, following his letter of October 15, 1980,

-5-

[CT 5965]

to her in which Defendant stated, at page 7, that there were

materials in the "Controller Archives" that would be helpful to

him in the biography research.

After these materials were delivered to Defendant

Armstrong, Intervenor was removed from her Scientology position

of Controller in 1981, presumably because of her conviction for

the felony of obstruction of justice in connection with the

theft of Scientology documents form various governments offices

and agencies in Washington, D.C.

During the time Defendant Armstrong worked on the

biography project and acted as Hubbard Archivist, there was

never any mention that he was not to be dealing with Hubbard's

personal documents or that the delivery of those document to

Mr. Garrison was not authorized.

For the first year or more of the Hubbard biography and

archive project, funding came from Hubbard's personal staff

unit at Gilman Hot Springs, California. In early 1981,

however, Defendant Armstrong's supervisor, Laurel Sullivan,

ordered him to request that funding come from what was known as

SEA Org Reserves. Approval for this change in funding came

from the SEA Org Reserves Chief and Watch Dog Committee, the

top Commodores Messenger Organization unit, who were Hubbard's

personal representatives.

From November of 1980 through 1981, Defendant Armstrong

worked closely with Mr. Garrison, assembling Hubbard's archives

into logical categories, copying them and arranging the copies

of the Archives materials into bound volumes. Defendant

Armstrong made two copies of almost all documents copied for

-6-

[CT 5966]

Mr. Garrison - one for Mr. Garrison and the other to remain in

Hubbard Archives for reference or recopying. Defendant

Armstrong created approximately 400 binders of documents. The

vast majority of the documents for Mr. Garrison came from

Hubbard's personal Archives, of which Defendant Armstrong was

in charge. Materials which came from other Archives, such as

the Controller Archives, were provided to Defendant Armstrong

by Scientology staff members who had these documents in their

care.

It was not until late 1981 that Plaintiff was to provide a

person to assist on the biography project by providing Mr.

Garrison with "Guardian Office" materials, otherwise described

as technical materials relating to the operation of

Scientology. The individual appointed for this task was Vaughn

Young. Controller Archives and Guardian Office Archives had no

connection to the Hubbard Archives, which Defendant Armstrong

created and maintained as Hubbard's personal materials.

In addition to the assemblage of Hubbard's Archives,

Defendant Armstrong worked continually on researching and

assembling materials concerning Hubbard by interviewing dozens

of individuals, including Hubbard's living aunt, uncle, and

four cousins. Defendant Armstrong did a genealogy study of

Hubbard's family and collected, assembled, and read hundreds of

Thousands of pages of documentation in Hubbard's Archives.

During 1980 Defendant Armstrong remained convinced of

Hubbard's honesty and integrity and believed that the

representation he had made about himself in various

publications were truthful. Defendant Armstrong was devoted to

-7-

[CT 5967]

Hubbard and was convinced that any information which he

discovered to be unflattering of Hubbard or contradictory to

what Hubbard has said about himself, was a lie being spread by

Hubbard's enemies. Even when Defendant Armstrong located

documents in Hubbard's Archives which indicated that

representations made by Hubbard and the Organization were

untrue, Defendant Armstrong would find some means to "explain

away" the contradictory information.

Slowly, however, throughout 1981, Defendant Armstrong

Began to see that Hubbard and the Organization had continuously

Lied about Hubbard's past, his credentials, and his

accomplishments. Defendant Armstrong believed, in good faith,

that the only means by which Scientology could succeed in what

Defendant Armstrong believed was its goal of creating an

ethical environment on earth, and the only way Hubbard could be

free of his critics, would be for Hubbard and the Organization

to discontinue the lies about Hubbard's past, his credentials,

and accomplishments. Defendant Armstrong resisted any public

relations piece or announcement about Hubbard which the L. Ron

Hubbard Public Relations Bureau proposed for publication which

was not factual. Defendant Armstrong attempted to change and

make accurate the various "about the author" sections in

Scientology books, and further, Defendant rewrote or critiqued

several of these and other publications for the L. Ron Hubbard

Public Relations Bureau and various Scientology Organizations.

Defendant Armstrong believed and desired that the Scientology

Organization and its leader discontinue the perpetration of the

///

-8-

[CT 5968]

massive fraud upon the innocent followers of Scientology, and

the public at large.

Because of Defendant Armstrong's actions, in late November

of 1981, Defendant was requested to come to Gilman Hot Springs

by Commodore Messenger Organization Executive, Cirrus Slevin.

Defendant Armstrong was ordered to undergo a "security check, "

which involved Defendant Armstrong's interrogation while

connected to a crude Scientology lie detector machine called an

E-meter.

The Organization wished to determine what materials

Defendant Armstrong had provided to Omar Garrison. Defendant

Armstrong was struck by the realization that the Organization

would not work with him to correct the numerous fraudulent

representations made to followers of Scientology and the public

about L. Ron Hubbard and the Organization itself. Defendant

Armstrong, who, for twelve years of his life, had placed his

complete and full trust in Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard and the

Scientology Organization, saw that his trust had no meaning and

that the massive frauds perpetrated about Hubbard's past,

credentials, and accomplishments would continue to be spread.

Less than three weeks before Defendant Armstrong left

Scientology, he wrote a letter to Cirrus Slevin on November 25,

1981, in which it is clear that his intentions in airing the

inaccuracies, falsehoods, and frauds regarding Hubbard were

done in good faith. In his letter he stated as follows:

" If we present inaccuracies, hyperbole

or downright lies as fact or truth, it

doesn't matter what slant we give them, if

-9-

[CT 5969]

disproved the man will look, to outsiders

at least, like a charlatan. This is what

I'm trying to prevent and what I've been

working on the past year and a half.

. . .

    "and that is why I said to Norman that

it is up to us to insure that everything

which goes out about LRH is one hundred

percent accurate. That is not to say that

opinions can't be voiced, they can. And

they can contain all the hype you want.

But they should not be construed as facts.

And anything stated as a fact should be

documentable.

    "we are in a period when

'investigative reporting' is popular, and

when there is relatively easy access to

documentation on a person. We can't delude

ourselves I believe, if we want to gain

public acceptance and cause some betterment

in society, that we can get away with

statements, the validity of which we don't

know.

    "The real disservice to LRH, and the

ultimate make-wrong is to go on assuming

that everything he's ever written or said

is one hundred percent accurate and publish

it as such without verifying it. I'm

-10-

[CT 5970]

talking here about biographical or

non-technical writings. This only leads,

should any of his statements turn out to be

inaccurate, to a make-wrong of him, and

consequently his technology.

"That's what I'm trying to remedy and

prevent.

. . .

"To say that LRH is not capable of

hype, errors or lies is certanly [sic] not

granting him much of a beingness. To

continue on with the line that he has never

erred nor lied is counterproductive. It is

an unreal attitude and too far removed from

both the reality and people in general that

it would widen public unacceptance.

. . .

". . . That is why I feel the

falsities must be corrected, and why we

must verify our facts and present them in a

favorable light."

The remainder of the letter contains examples of facts

about Hubbard which Defendant Armstrong found to be wholly

untrue or inaccurate and which were represented as true by the

Hubbards and the Scientology Organization.

In December of 1981 Defendant Armstrong made the decision

to leave the Church of Scientology. In order to continue in

-11-

[CT 5971]

his commitment to Hubbard and Mr. Garrison in the biography

project, he copied a large quantity of documents, which Mr.

Garrison had requested or which would be useful to him for the

biography. Defendant Armstrong delivered all of this material

to Mr. Garrison the date he left the SEA Organization and kept

nothing in his possession.

Thereafter, Defendant Armstrong maintained friendly

relations with Hubbard's representatives by returning to the

Archives offices and discussing the various categories of

materials. In fact on February 24, 1982, Defendant Armstrong

wrote to Vaughn Young, regarding certain materials Mr. Young

was unable to locate for Omar Garrison.

After this letter was written, Defendant Armstrong went to

the Archives office and located certain materials Mr. Garrison

had wanted which Hubbard representatives claimed they could not

locate.

At the time Defendant Armstrong left the SEA Organization,

he was disappointed with Scientology and Hubbard, and also felt

deceived by them. However, Defendant Armstrong felt he had no

enemies and felt no ill will toward anyone in the Organization

or Hubbard, but still believed that a truthful biography should

be written.

After leaving the SEA Organization, Defendant Armstrong

continued to assist Mr. Garrison with the Hubbard biography

project. In the spring of 1982, Defendant Armstrong at Mr.

Garrison's request, transcribed some of his interview tapes,

copied some of the documentation he had, and assembled several

more binders of copied materials. Defendant Armstrong also set

-12-

[CT 5972]

up shelves for Mr. Garrison for all the biography research

materials, worked on a cross-reference systems, and continued

to do library research for the biography.

On February 18, 1982, the Church of Scientology

International issued a "Suppressive Person Declare Gerry

Armstrong," which is an official Scientology document issued

against individuals who are considered as enemies of the

Organization. Said Suppressive Person Declare charged that

Defendant Armstrong had taken an unauthorized leave and that he

was spreading destructive rumors about Senior Scientologists.

Defendant Armstrong was unaware of said Suppressive Person

Declare until April of 1982. At that time a revised Declare

Was issued on April 22, 1982. Said Declare charged Defendant

Armstrong with 18 different "Crimes and High Crimes and

Suppressive Acts Against the Church." The charges included

theft, juggling accounts, obtaining loans on money under false

pretenses, promulgating false information about the Church,

its founder, and members, and other untruthful allegations

designed to make Defendant Armstrong an appropriate subject of

the Scientology "Fair Game Doctrine." Said Doctrine allows any

suppressive person to be "tricked, cheated, lied to, sued, or

destroyed."

The second declare was issued shortly after Defendant

Armstrong attempted to sell photographs of his wedding on board

Hubbard's ship (in which Hubbard appears), and photographs

belonging to some of his friends, which also included photos of

L.R. Hubbard while in seclusion. Although Defendant Armstrong

delivered the photographs to a Virgil Wilhite for sale, he

-13-

[CT 5973]

never received payment or return of his friend's photographs.

When he became aware that the Church had these photographs, he

went to the Organization to request their return. A loud and

boisterous argument ensued, and he eventually was told to leave

the premises and get an attorney.

From his extensive knowledge of the covert and

intelligence operations carried out by the Church of

Scientology of California against its enemies (suppressive

persons), Defendant Armstrong became terrified and feared that

his life and the life of his wife were in danger, and he also

feared he would be the target of costly and harassing lawsuits.

In addition, Mr. Garrison became afraid for the security of the

documents and believed that the intelligence network of the

Church of Scientology would break and enter his home to

retrieve them. Thus, Defendant Armstrong made copies of

certain documents for Mr. Garrison and maintained them in a

separate location.

It was thereafter, in the summer of 1982, that Defendant

Armstrong asked Mr. Garrison for copies of documents to use in

his defense and sent the documents to his attorneys, Michael

Flynn and Contos & Bunch.

After the within suit was filed on August 2, 1982,

Defendant Armstrong was the subject of harassment, including

being followed and surveilled by individuals who admitted

employment by Plaintiff; being assaulted by one of these

individuals; being struck bodily by a car driven by one of

these individuals; having two attempts made by said individuals

apparently to involve Defendant Armstrong in a freeway

-14-

[CT 5974]

automobile accident; having said individuals come onto

Defendant Armstrong's property, spy in his windows, create

disturbances, and upset his neighbors. During trial when it

appeared that Howard Schomer (a former Scientologist) might be

called as a defense witness, the Church engaged in a somewhat

sophisticated effort to suppress his testimony. It is not

clear how the Church became aware of defense intentions to call

Mr. Schomer as a witness, but it is abundantly clear they

sought to entice him back into the fold and prevent his

testimony.

-15-

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