Scientologists' Criminal Trial Is Postponed - 1979-09-25
Scientologists' Criminal Trial Is Postponed September 25, 1979,
The criminal trial of nine members of the Church of Scientology, scheduled to start yesterday, has been postponed pending the outcome of negotiations between federal prosecutors and church attorneys seeking to avoid a lengthy court case.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Richey reportedly has told attorneys for both sides in closed hearings that he still intends the trial to begin by next Tuesday at the latest if no agreement is reached.
The negotiations are said to center on a procedure by which the government attorneys will lay out their complete case against the Scientologists in court documents. The judge will then determine whether the church members are guilty or innocent of charges of conspiring to obstruct justice and burglarize government offices.