Josh Gordon OTO vs. Berkeley Police Lawsuit On September 12th, 1990 e.v., Ordo Templi Orie

Josh Gordon
OTO vs. Berkeley Police Lawsuit



On September 12th, 1990 e.v., Ordo Templi Orientis and seven individual
plaintiffs filed a suit in Federal Court against the City of Berkeley,
County of Alameda, 10 named officers of BPD, two other individuals and
as yet unidentified additional defendants.  The suit asks $9.5 million
in compensatory damages with additional special damages and remedies.
All this arises out of the raid and matters prior and subsequent of
one year ago.  The damages arise from allegations of violation of civil
rights, civil conspiracy, false arrest and imprisonment, slander, libel,
conversion, assault, battery, malicious prosecution and abuse of
process, as well as intentional and negligent infliction of emotional
distress and negligence.  The complaint also claims as specific causes
of action matters arising from the 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 14th
amendments to the U.S.Constitution and matters in California constitution
and statute.  The case will be heard by Federal IXth District Court Judge
Eugene F. Lynch, hopefully within the next year or early in the one
following.

Grand Lodge needs your contributions to the Legal Fund.  The raid brought
home to us the necessity of dealing with libel and slander before it leads
to worse things.  In the past the Grand Lodge of O.T.O. has taken legal
action against libel at some considerable expense.  We have always been
successful, although not always to the point of fighting a case to
ultimate decision by the courts.  One of the controlling limitations
has been money.  At this time four additional unrelated legal actions
are either in progress or in early stages against matters of libel or
the result of libel against O.T.O. in addition to this present case.
We have had to turn down one other case on the fringe of O.T.O., in
large part from lack of adequate funding to proceed.  For more
information, see the "Magical Link", Summer 1990 e.v. issue.  O.T.O. can
proceed with the matters presently in hand, but only if contributions
to the Legal Fund continue.  Your generosity has enabled us to come
this far, but justice is expensive.  Please send what you can afford
to: O.T.O. Legal Fund, P.O.Box 430, Fairfax, CA  94930 USA.  Such
contributions to the defense of our religious freedom to pursue the
practice of the Thelemic religion are tax-deductible in the USA.
Victories by O.T.O. in defense of its religious freedom redound to
the benefit of all minority religions through establishment of
precedent and demonstration of the rights of religious expression
generally.