Can the Church of Scientology escape the U.S. civil justice system?
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But the big move comes from the Church of Scientology, a co-defendant in the case. The argument being made is that these women agreed to ecclesiastical justice procedures when they first committed to practice Scientology. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge is presented with their written agreements. According to new court papers, the women each executed agreements, stipulating, "My freely given consent to be bound exclusively by the discipline, faith, internal organization, and ecclesiastical rule, custom, and law of the Scientology religion in all matters relating to Scientology Religious Services, in all my dealings of any nature with the Church, and in all my dealings of any nature with any other Scientology church or organization which espouses, presents, propagates or practices...
"Plaintiffs may argue that their claims arose after they severed their relationship with the Church," continues the brief. "However, such an argument is neither true nor legally relevant. Plaintiffs’ claims incorporate by reference all previous allegations, which include allegations of traumatic experiences occurring while parishioners of the Church, over a decade before the relationships with the Church were severed.
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