Scientology fires legal salvoes at the Garcias, and Vance Woodward fires back - 2014-06-18

Scientology fires legal salvoes at the Garcias, and Vance Woodward fires back June 18, 2014, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker

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Lots to catch up on today in the legal arena, with Scientology making several counterpunches in lawsuits around the country.

The Luis and Rocio Garcia federal fraud lawsuit regarding fundraising for Scientology's "Super Power Building." When we last checked in, the Garcias had won an important victory, surviving a challenge to the lawsuit over its "diversity jurisdiction" and the fact that this California couple had filed its lawsuit in a Tampa federal court. In order to get past a problem of jurisdiction, the Garcias dropped three defendants and were allowed to file an amended complaint.

Now, Scientology has answered that amended complaint with a new motion to dismiss the lawsuit, again over the question of diversity jurisdiction. The church is saying that the Garcias cut some corners in order to avoid the jurisdiction problem, and Judge James D. Whittemore should not have allowed it. The filing indicates that Scientology plans to appeal Whittemore's ruling on the jurisdiction question. Well, of course they are.

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{{cite news | first = Tony | last = Ortega | title = Scientology fires legal salvoes at the Garcias, and Vance Woodward fires back | url = https://tonyortega.org/2014/06/18/scientology-fires-legal-salvoes-at-the-garcias-and-vance-woodward-fires-back/ | work = Underground Bunker | date = June 18, 2014 | accessdate = August 21, 2017 }}