The Church of Immortal Consciousness, et al. v. Rick Ross, et al.
Published: Jul. 31, 1999 | Result Date: Mar. 17, 1999 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |Case number: CV9518824 Bench Verdict – $0
Judge
Court
Maricopa Superior
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Defendant
Glen A. Smith
(First Amendment Coalition)
Facts
The KNXV-TV news broadcast from which this cause of action arises was aired on Aug. 25, 1995. The broadcast was taped in Tonto Village and featured plaintiffs Steven and Trina Kamp, along with The Church of Immortal Consciousness and The Shelby School, which the Kamps founded. The broadcast also included interviews with some residents in Tonto Village. The residents were highly critical of plaintiffs' lifestyle and the teachings of their church. Prior to the broadcast, the plaintiffs were involved in several public controversies. The major controversy stemmed from the State Board of Education's denial of a charter application for The Shelby School, previously named The Church of Immortal Consciousness School. The plaintiffs were also embroiled in controversies with their neighbors. In one such controversy, the plaintiffs sued fellow Tonto Village residents, Connie and David Miller, alleging that the Millers were spreading false rumors about their church and their lifestyle. Several Tonto Village residents were accused of committing acts of violence against church members and the church responded to the tensions by hiring armed guards. Newspaper articles concerning plaintiffs were published in June and July of 1995. The subject of these articles was the church and Trina Kamp's trancing of Dr. Pahlvon Duran, a 14th century doctor, and the spiritual leader of the church. Dr. Duran testified in plaintiff's suit against the Millers. On July 27, 1995, the Arizona Republic ran a front page story featuring Trina Kamp's trancing of Dr. Duran in the Miller lawsuit. The plaintiffs asserted that they were defamed by defendants during the Aug. 25, 1995 broadcast. The plaintiffs contended the following statements were defamatory: the church is a "destructive cult;" the church is a "con game;" the church is attempting to gain taxpayer money; and the church harassed residents of Tonto Village.
Settlement Discussions
The plaintiff made a settlement demand for $_________. The defendant made an offer of $___________ .
Other Information
The summary judgment in favor of defendants was reached approximately three years and six months after the case was filed.
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