CANDACE CONTI COURT DOCUMENTS
Media Press Release and information on Conti Trial
Twenty Eight Million Reasons Why Jehovah’s Witnesses Should Change Their Abuse Policy
Jehovah’s Witnesses Forced to Pay 28 Million Dollars To Compensate Abuse Survivor
7 Million Judgment and 21 Million Punitive Damages
MEDIA COVERAGE OF CASE
Jehovah's Witnesses ordered to pay more than $20 million to woman who said she was sexually abused
By James Eng, msnbc.com
In what both sides described as a momentous ruling, a jury in Oakland, Calif., has found that Jehovah’s Witnesses waspartly responsible for the alleged sexual abuse of a girl by one of its members and must pay her more than $20 million.
The Alameda County Superior Court jury on Thursday awarded $21 million in punitive damages to the plaintiff, who is now 26 years old. That was on top of the $7 million in compensatory damages it awarded her on Wednesday.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ legal entity, is responsible for the entire punitive damages amount and 40 percent of the compensatory damages, said Rick Simons, attorney for the plaintiff. Sixty percent of the compensatory damages was assessed against Jonathan Kendrick, the man accused of abusing her.
The woman sued Watchtower, the Fremont, Calif., congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Kendrick in 2011. She contended church elders acting under the authority of Watchtower knew about the risk of child sex abuse in their midst but kept it secret.
“I once wanted to be the best Jehovah’s Witness I could be. Now I feel I’m doing more to help other children in Jehovah’s Witnesses than I ever did walking door to door to spread the ‘good news,’” the woman said in a news release issued by Simons.
Jim McCabe, attorney for the Fremont congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, said Thursday before the punitive damages were announced that he was “stunned” by the verdict and would appeal.
“This is the first case I know of where a church has been hit with liability involving a rank-and-file member,” he told msnbc.com.
The jury found that the elders who managed the Fremont congregation in the 1990s and who were under the supervision of Watchtower knew that Kendrick, a member and a congregation leader, had recently been convicted of the sexual abuse of another child, but they kept his past record secret from the congregation, said Simons.
Kendrick went on to molest the plaintiff, who was a Jehovah's Witness member in Fremont, over a two-year period beginning when she was 9 years old, the lawsuit contended.
Kendrick was eventually convicted in 2004 of the sexual abuse of another girl, and is now a registered sex offender in California, Simons said. He has not been criminally charged with abusing the plaintiff, but Simons said the case is under investigation by law enforcement.
Kendrick was not in court for the trial and msnbc.com could not immediately find a contact number for him.
The California sex offender registry lists two convictions for him: lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age and sexual battery involving a restrained person.
The lawsuit alleged that Watchtower had a policy that instructed elders in its Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations to keep reports of child sex abusers within the religious group secret to avoid lawsuits.
“The verdict is significant because the policy of hiding sex abusers within the congregation was out in this case,” Simons said.
He also said the judgment was “one of the largest in the country for a child sex abuse single victim in a religious institution molestation case.”
Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination noted for its nontraditional interpretation of the Bible. Members are best known for their door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
The woman filed the lawsuit after trying, without success, to get Jehovah’s Witnesses in Southern California and in Fremont to change the secrecy policy, Simons said.
“There was no settlement demand from her because she felt the only way to expose this policy and make it change was to bring this case to trial and make it public,” he said.
“The money is the only way left for her to force Jehovah’s Witnesses to stop keep hiding known sex offenders within their congregation.”
McCabe denied Jehovah’s Witnesses has a secrecy policy concerning child sex abuse. He called the verdict "unprecedented."
“We’re stunned by the verdict. We hate child abuse and everything to do with it.”
McCabe said he was not aware of any other case in which a religious organization has been found liable for wrongdoing by a member who was not in an official position of responsibility.
“We’ve got a long ways to go yet before this one is resolved,” he said of the planned appeal.
Simons said Jehovah’s Witnesses has sufficient resources, including valuable real estate, to cover the judgment but an appeal could drag out for years.
News & Media links re: Candace Conti case
CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57454697/jury-awards-$28m-in-jehovahs-sex-abuse-case/
The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/us/28-million-awarded-in-jehovahs-witnesses-abuse-case.html?_r=3
Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/06/16/calif_jury_awards_28m_in_jehovahs_sex_abuse_case/?comments=all
SNAP Network: http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_child_sex_abuse_victim_to_get_27_million
The Neuberger Law Firm: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fneubergerlaw.com%2F2012%2F06%2F15%2Fjury-awards-more-than-28-million-against-jehovahs-wittnesses-and-sexual-abuser%2F&h=rAQE0jsnq
The Christian Post: http://www.christianpost.com/news/jehovahs-witnesses-asked-to-pay-28-million-in-child-abuse-case-76782/
JW Survey.org (very informative write up on the case): http://jwsurvey.org/general-information/the-watchtower-punished-society-loses-legal-battle-over-child-abuse-case
Official Press Release from Attorney Rick Simmons: http://jwsurvey.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/News-Release.pdf
To view the Official Court Records, click here and search using reference number “HG11558324″: http://apps.alameda.courts.ca.gov/domainweb/html/index.html
The Candace Conti verdict explained, on YouTube:
Silentlambs Press Release
Silentlambs Press Release (download)
For immediate release - Friday June 15, 2012
For more information contact – William H. Bowen of Silentlambs, a support group for those molested by Jehovah’s Witnesses (270-703-2257, bowen@silentlambs.org)
Child sex abuse victim to get $28 million
National Jehovah’s Witness HQ must pay
Advocate calls decision “a watershed moment”
Church’s “secrecy” rules enable abuse, he says
Denomination requires two witnesses in each suspected abuse case
It’s a written policy & still in force today, support group head charges
Calling a jury decision “a watershed moment for children’s safety in the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” a self help group for men and women who were molested by denomination members is praising the child sex abuse victim who took her case to court this week in California.
Yesterday, Bay Area jurors awarded $21 million in punitive damages – on top of an earlier $7 million in actual damages – to an Oakland woman who was sexually assaulted as a child by a now-convicted Jehovah’s Witness.
“Until now, a jury has virtually never held the JW national headquarters responsible for repeated heinous child sex crimes and cover ups by church members or officials,” said William H. Bowen of Nashville, TN, who founded and heads a support group for those molested by Jehovah’s Witnesses (270-703-2257, bowen@silentlambs.org) “This is a ground-breaking case and a watershed award against an especially callous group of church bureaucrats.”
“The Jehovah Witnesses have the most dangerous abuse policy on the planet – requiring two eyewitnesses to a child sex crime before an accusation can be deemed ‘credible,’” said William H. Bowen of Tennessee, who founded and heads a support group for those molested by Jehovah’s Witnesses (270-703-2257, bowen@silentlambs.org) “So justice and prevention isn’t happening within the church, and that’s why this decision is so crucial. We hope it prods more JW victims to report child sex crimes to secular authorities and take legal action to expose predators and protect kids.”
In 2007, 17 victims shared a $13 million dollar settlement from church officials. It involved victims in three states California , Texas and Oregon and six Jehovah Witnesses perpetrators.
Bowen says this is the largest amount the Jehovah’s Witness have ever had to pay in one child sex case.
Attorney Press Release Link
Legal documents pertaining to case
Survivor
Kendrick - Molester
We wish to thank the brave efforts of those that came forward and stopped this pedophile from hurting more children.
Twelve years ago Silentlambs assisted the first lawsuits for abuse survivors. In 2001 over fifty lawsuits were filed by several different law firms with the help of Silentlambs. Over the course of the next seven years over 10,000 hours of consultation, documentation, and content practices were provided to assist with building a legal framework for victims to have the ability to seek compensation. In May 2007 Silentlambs had a press conference announcing that Jehovah’s Witnesses had paid a major settlement to sixteen victims of their policy on abuse. It was shown this settlement was in excess of twelve million dollars and the largest in the history of the organization to be paid out to victims. The problem was that the Jehovah’s Witness legal department made all the victims sign gag orders that prevented them from ever speaking publicly about what happened.
Two years ago Silentlambs again started work on litigation for eight different victims in California. The purpose was again the push the boulder of proof up the hill a bit further to give future abuse survivors within Jehovah’s Witnesses a solid basis to pursue litigation when hurt by the destructive policies of the organization on child abuse. The first major result has happened today! After a week long trial the jury delivered a decision against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the amount of seven million dollars. Thursday they will decide on punitive damages as well. This represents a huge victory as this is the first major trial with JWs in over fifteen years on the abuse policy and how it puts children in danger. What is the problem?
California recently passed a law that in the event of settlement that no victims can be gagged from speaking out on their abuse. This precedent will allow future victims to have a voice even in the circumstance that settlements are made. At Silentlambs we believe that finally the boulder is at the top of the hill and now the thousands of survivors that have suffered and been silenced can now seek help and be compensated for the abusive way this religion has destroyed the lives of thousands of kids.
When I first started the Silentlambs organization I wrote a story about what I wanted the organization to accomplish. It was called, “The Day The Lambs Roared”. The story described the day when lambs would stand up to their shepards and never allow them to abuse them again. The haughty and prideful Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have allowed kids to be hurt and protected thousands of child molesters. They maintain a database with well over 23.000 identified pedophiles that are in most cases not reported to police. These men have known about this problem since 1992 and yet they ignored the cries of the children and allowed thousands more to be molested. These men are unethical, immoral, and should be excommunicated as men of God. Yet they do not follow their on mandates for dealing with wrongdoing. On September 27, 2002 Silentlambs presented over 125 eye witnesses to the crimes against children committed by the Governing Body. They hide behind their desks and refused to face their accusers like the cowards they are. It is easy for them to make policy that hurts kids but they lack the backbone to face the people they hurt. The Bible describes such men as “hired men” that do not care for the flock.
“I am the fine shepherd; the fine shepherd surrenders his soul in behalf of the sheep. The hired man, who is no shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong as his own, beholds the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them— because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep.” (John 10:10-15)
These “hired men” will be speaking at various conventions around the world this summer. As they are idolized and treated like rock stars they hopefully will face reporters that will ask them why they choose to hurt kids with bad policies. The public should see how these evil men have no compassion and simply wish to continue their life of power and prominence.
We are proud of those that have come forward and put their lives and stories on the line to help others to know they are not alone, it was not their fault, and bad men that allowed them to be hurt. Portions of every donation collected for the World Wide Work of Jehovah’s Witnesses goes to support the legal defense of their pedophiles. If you do not wish to help a child molester stay out of jail do not make a donation to this fund. It is our hope the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses will finally comply with a simple request made twelve years ago.
Apologize to all who have suffered as Silentlambs due to WT policy.
Open all congregation confidential files and have any record of pedophile behavior reported to the authorities.
Amend WT policy so that when any report of molestation is reported to elders it immediately is reported to the police for investigation.
If the Governing Body continues to ignore this request to protect kids, we hope they are sued out of existence….
The lambs have roared and they are silent no more.
June 17th, 2012 | Views: 12,516
On June 14, 2012 an Oakland, California jury took very little time to decide that the Watchtower Society was guilty of failing to protect the children in its care. The jury decided that Jehovah’s Witnesses care more about protecting their organization’s reputation than it does the safety of their own children and young people at a Kingdom Hall. That verdict and its potential long-term effects on the Watchtower Society should not be underestimated.
Alameda County Courthouse, Hayward, CA
(where the lawsuit was filed)
Located on the inland side of San Francisco Bay in California, Alameda County has a very typical but diverse middle-class American population. The city of Fremont is located directly across the Bay from Menlo Park, the site of other court cases involving the Watchtower’s taking over a Kingdom Hall. Based on the number of court cases under way in just the San Francisco Bay area, the “faithful slave’s” Legal Department must be working a lot of overtime.
In the case known as “Doe v. The Watchtower Society Bible and Tract Society of New York,” the jury ordered the Watchtower Society and the real perpetrator to pay nearly $7 million compensatory damages. The following day, the same jury awarded the plaintiff another $21 million in punitive damages. The Watchtower is on the hook for all the punitive and 40% of the compensatory damages. Jonathan Kendrick, now a registered sex-offender, did not testify as part of an agreement to not have to actually pay his part of the damages.
An outside attorney, Jim McCabe, led the Watchtower Society’s defense team. He expressed his disappointment with the verdict, declaring that there will be appeals and outcome of the case is likely to take several years. “The Jehovah’s Witnesses hate child abuse and believe it’s a plague on humanity,” McCabe said. His opinion was that a religious organization could not be held responsible for the actions of one its members, especially a member who held no responsible assignment for the Kingdom Hall.
Although Jonathan Kendrick had been a Ministerial Servant at one time, McCabe claimed that the Watchtower should not share in the blame because he was not an elder, only an average Witness who attended meetings at the North Fremont Kingdom Hall, located about 30 miles south of Oakland, California. He presented the Watchtower’s claim was that it was not responsible for the acts of someone who was only a member. “[He, Kendrick] brought liability on the group [the Watchtower and the Kingdom Hall] for actions he alone may have taken.”
Observers and reporters of the trial pointed out that the real reason the Watchtower lost the case and may find appeals expensive and fruitless, is because it set very clear policies on how to treat known pedophiles and other criminals within a Kingdom Hall. Board of Elder letters issued by the Watchtower clearly instructed the elders in charge NOT TO REPORT alleged crimes to the local police immediately (in spite of state laws requiring such reports), but rather to call the Watchtower’s Legal Department first for instructions on how to proceed.
The Watchtower further complicated their defense by instructing elders NOT TO WARN OTHER MEMBERS that a known molester was in their midst and that they should take steps to protect their children and restrict access to such persons.
The plaintiff’s lawyers provided concrete evidence that demonstrated that the Watchtower shared the blame in this and so many similar cases like it within their congregations.
Unlike earlier court cases that were eventually settled out of court, the plaintiff made it clear she was not interested in any settlement nor would she agree to non-disclosure. Instead, the plaintiff, 26-year Candace Conti, stated that she was not interested in getting rich from the court awarded damages. Her goal was to finally expose the Watchtower’s policies that put so many children at risk while protecting known sex offenders. She wanted to get the facts out to the public and fully expose the truth once and for all. It also helps that California law forbids “gag orders” on these kinds of cases.
Since Jonathan Kendrick molested Miss Conti in the 1990s, he was convicted for at least two other sex related crimes and is a state registered sex offender. Those who know him have indicated that he is still a Jehovah’s Witness “in good standing” and attends a Kingdom Hall near Oakley in nearby Contra Costa County. It is unlikely that he will ever be welcome again inbthe North Fremont Kingdom Hall.
Candace Conti, whose abuse by a brother in the congregation was entirely preventable
Rick Simons, the plaintiff’s main attorney, called the verdict “the nation’s largest for a victim of sex abuse involving a religious institution.”
In 1989, the Watchtower published a policy instructing elders to keep reports of child sex abuse secret from Kingdom Hall members. In this case, the North Fremont elders did exactly that when they failed to inform the members in 1994 when they learned of Kendrick’s conviction for misdemeanor child molestation.
In spite of the elders having that knowledge, Kendrick had access to Miss Conti and other children in the North Fremont Kingdom Hall. He repeatedly molested her in 1995 and 1996. Miss Conti, now 26, was only 9 and 10 years old. Although the elders knew about the crime, they did not share that information with the rest of the congregation. Their secrecy allowed Kendrick the opportunity to molest other children as well.
That secret policy, as constructed and enforced by the Watchtower Society, has now been made public. The “cat is out of the bag” and “the genii is out of the bottle.” The Watchtower can deny the facts, lie, and even call this court case another example of “persecution of Jehovah’s people,” but the facts are finally on the table. The whole world now will soon know the real truth about “The Truth.”™ That revelation and judgment is proof that the Watchtower’s leaders have brought all of this down on their own heads.
The 58-year old Kendrick, a registered sex offender, was convicted in 2004 of molesting another girl in Contra Costa County, Simons said.
“That policy is still in place and it was a secret until, through the power of the court, it was put into evidence,” he said. “That policy was what this case was all about.”
Criminal charges have not been filed against Kendrick in connection with the Conti case, but authorities are investigating.
McCabe said there is a lot of dispute about the plaintiff’s accusations. “But if she was, in fact, abused then we feel horrible, and hope she can make a full recovery and lead a normal life.”
Conti said she had two goals in filing the lawsuit last year: She wanted to do whatever she could to protect children in the future and to encourage sex abuse victims who’ve been hurt by the policy of secrecy to come forward and make their voices heard. She knows that nothing can undo the pain and humiliation that she suffered at Kendrick’s hand and the Watchtower’s policies. But she hopes that the verdict will force the Watchtower to change its policies and give children and families better protection from sick or criminal members of a congregation.
“Hopefully, we can get them to change their policy. Maybe something good will good come out of it.”
Watchtower apologists are already complaining that the case had no merit and that the Watchtower is getting a raw deal. They are also hoping that the world in general doesn’t care enough to follow the case and its final outcome. One Watchtower supporter wrote, “No one really cares. Jehovah’s Witnesses are such a small religion that no one other than apostates and maybe some of Conti’s friends and family members will even take notice. Win or lose, a few million dollars won’t change a thing. The Governing Body makes the rules and they are guided by holy spirit – so who can fight against that? Sister Conti, her family, and all of her supporters will realize what a terrible mistake they made when Armageddon comes and Jehovah judges them as evil doers. I personally feel sorry for what happened to her, but I am more concerned that she gave up her everlasting life just to embarrass the Watchtower and to make herself rich.”
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY
OAKLAND JURY HOLDS JEHOVAH WITNESSES RESPONSIBLE
FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF FREMONT CHILD
An Alameda County Superior Court jury has found the Jehovah’s Witnesses legally responsible for the sexual abuse of a 9 year old former Fremont girl. The verdict, announced Wednesday June 13, found that the Elders who managed the North Fremont Jehovah’s Witness Congregation in the 1990s knew perpetrator Jonathan Kendrick had sexually molested another child, but kept his child abuse secret from the parents and families with children in the Congregation.
Kendrick went on to repeatedly sexually molest Candace Conti, now 26, over a two year period, using Jehovah Witnesses activities such as door to door neighborhood soliciting as his way to secretly gain control over his young victim. Kendrick was eventually convicted in 2004 of the sexual abuse of another young girl, and is now a Registered Sex Offender in California.
The key issue in the case, according to the victim’s attorney Rick Simons of Hayward, was the written policy of Watchtower New York, Inc., which instructed all Elders in Jehovah’s Witnesses Congregations in the United States to keep reports of child sex abusers within Jehovah’s Witnesses secret to avoid lawsuits. The case is believed to be the first in the nation to directly address the policy of secrecy, adopted in 1989, and still in force today.
Ms. Conti stated “I once wanted to be the best Jehovah’s Witness I could be. Now I feel I’m doing more to help other children in Jehovah’s Witnesses than I ever did walking door to door to spread the ‘good news’.”
The jury awarded $7 million dollars in damages, and will return Thursday to deliberate on whether or not punitive damages should be awarded.
Candace Conti spent 2 years trying to convince the Jehovah’s Witnesses, both in Southern California and in Fremont, to change the secrecy policy, but finally gave up and filed her lawsuit in 2011. “This young woman, who experienced brutal abuse as a child, could not tell anyone for several years, and has walked for many years in a nightmare of depression and isolation, has shown incredible courage in facing the powerful and secrecy laden organization that betrayed her into the hands of a monster” said Mr. Simons of his client.
The verdict came in the courtroom of Judge Robert McGuiness in Dept. 22, Oakland.
Domain Web case #: HG11558324 (Jane Doe v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.)
UPDATE: OAKLAND JURY ADDS $21 MILLION DOLLARS IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO
JEHOVAH’S WITNESS CHILD SEX ABUSE CASE
The Oakland jury which found on Wednesday that the Jehovah’s Witnesses were responsible for the repeated sexual molestation of a then 9 and 10 year old girl has added an award of $21,000,001 in punitive damages against Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
The case is the first in the nation to expose the formerly secret written policy of watchtower, in place since 1989, which required all elders to keep the identities of known child abusers in its Congregations secret from parents and other members. The policy allowed Candace Conti to be abused by North Fremont Congregation member Jonathan Kendrick soon after he was known by the elders to have sexually abused another girl.
For more information contact:
Rick Simons: text and cell 510-917-2169/ rick@fjslaw.com/ office 510-582-1080×19
Documents and court records relating to the case of “Jane Doe VS The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York”.
.Jury Trial Transcripts
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 1 May 29, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 2 May 30, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 3 May 31, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 4 June 4, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 5 June 5, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 6 June 6, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 7 June 11, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 8 June 12, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 9 June 13, 2012 – pdf
Candace Conti v. Watchtower – Jury Trial Day 10 June 14, 2012 – pdf
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Related Documents
Court documents (26 and 72) re: court order freezing $1 billion of Watch Tower Society assets
Jehovah’s Witnesses official media release, June 20, 2012 re: appeal
Jehovah’s Witnesses official press release: Protecting Children from Abuse