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The 2 sides within the Paul Haggis civil rape trial haven’t agreed on a lot over the previous week and a half, however they did attain an vital consensus on Friday.
Choose Sabrina Kraus stated that the Oscar winner’s attorneys and the authorized workforce of his accuser Haleigh Breest say that there’s “no proof” supporting the allegation that Breest is related to the Church of Scientology. Haggis, the author of “Million Greenback Child” and the filmmaker behind “Crash,” was a member of the church for 35 years, earlier than leaving the group in 2009 over its help of a California poll initiative banning same-sex marriage. He has since spoken out publicly towards its practices, most notably in an 2011 profile within the New Yorker.
Breest, a former freelance publicist for the Cinema Society, alleges that Haggis compelled her to carry out oral intercourse on him after which raped her in his Soho condo in 2013 after a film premiere. However Haggis’s protection workforce argued in its opening assertion that Breest’s rape cost got here in retaliation for Haggis’ choice to depart after which publicly criticize the Church of Scientology.
After attorneys for Breest’s facet rested its case, the protection council known as Mike Rinder to the stand. Rinder was a Scientologist for 45 years earlier than leaving the church in 2007 and changing into a vocal critic of the church. He described how he “grew to become lifeless” to his total household and community after leaving the church.
“I grew to become an enemy of Scientology,” Rinder stated. “Anyone that’s against something that the Church of Scientology doesn’t like should be silenced in any respect prices.”
Rinder testified that the Church of Scientology has an “in depth” handbook on tips on how to blackmail those that communicate out towards their practices.
“You discover what the particular person is in search of to guard and what their weaknesses are… and you utilize these to successfully blackmail that particular person into silence,” Rinder stated.
He continued, “Step one that’s taken with somebody who’s changing into an enemy of Scientology is to very overtly assault them. It’s known as a really noisy investigation. If that doesn’t work and so they’re a sufficiently big downside, then it goes right into a covert intelligence operation… that’s one thing that the Church of Scientology won’t ever admit to.”
When Haggis first denounced the Church of Scientology, Rinder stated he “was happy that he had seen the sunshine as I had seen the sunshine.”
Rinder alleged that he is likely one of the high three “suppressive folks” — those that are an official enemy of the church — together with Haggis and “King of Queens” star Leah Remini, one other former Scientologist turned critic.
“They’ve me adopted always, they’ve smear websites up about me… and have performed a marketing campaign now accusing me of being a wifebeater,” Rinder stated.
Rinder denied figuring out Breest and having any connections to the case.
“I don’t suppose I’d be if she was [a member of the church],” he stated. “No person would have any data about that until I used to be the one who arrange that operation.”
He additionally testified that he’s by no means requested Haggis what occurred on the aforementioned night time with Breest.
“The entire Scientology protection is embarrassing,” Ilann Maazel, lawyer for Breest, advised reporters outdoors the courtroom. “It’s absurd.”
Choose Kraus clarified throughout courtroom that regardless of Rinder’s look, Haggis’s workforce was not going to push the narrative that Scientology was orchestrating the rape claims towards the filmmaker.
Dr. Lisa Rocchio was known as because the final witness for the plaintiff to present her knowledgeable opinion on the “complicated trauma” that Breest has endured for the reason that alleged rape. She testified that Breest “prevented sexual exercise” and “prevented interactions” with Haggis at Cinema Society occasions that adopted the alleged rape — indicators, she stated, of the psychological harm that the alleged rape brought on.
Protection lawyer Seth Zuckerman famous that Rocchio testified within the Kevin Spacey civil lawsuit that wrapped final week. In that case, either side debated whether or not or not the Oscar-winning actor tried to molest Anthony Rapp when he was 14 years previous. A New York jury in the end discovered that Spacey was not accountable for battery. Spacey’s attorneys argued that Rapp acquired key particulars in regards to the format of Spacey’s condo flawed, which they claimed forged doubt on the validity of his account.
“On this case, there’s not a dispute about whether or not Ms. Breest and Mr. Haggis have been within the condo collectively,” Rocchio stated. “The dispute is about whether or not or not it was consensual.”
A jury discovered that Spacey was not accountable for damages towards Rapp.
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