Freeman Gets Narconon
®
Appeal
An Oklahoma County judge who previously has ruled in favor of Narconon
Chilocco New Life Center has been assigned to hear the center's latest
court case, a lawyer for the center said Saturday.
Harry Woods Jr. said a court appeal of the state mental health board's
denial of certification for the facility has been assigned to District
Judge Leamon Freeman.
Freeman also will rule on a request to allow Narconon Chilocco to remain
open through the appeal process, Woods said.
The actions were filed just before court offices closed Friday in Oklahoma
County, Woods said. No hearing date has been set for the request to stay
the mental health board's decision, pending appeals.
State officials likely will file motions arguing against the appeal, and
against allowing Narconon Chilocco to remain open through the appeal
process, which could take as long as two or three years.
Lawyers for Narconon Chilocco originally said the appeal would be filed in
Oklahoma County but then said it would be filed in Kay County District
Court because that is where the facility is located.
But Woods said he found a 1991 court case that allowed Narconon Chilocco to
file its appeal in Oklahoma County because that is the home county of the
state mental health board and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services.
Freeman last November granted a stay for Narconon Chilocco that allowed the
facility to remain open and to accept new patients while it went through
the state licensing process.
Freeman's order countered an earlier order by a Kay County judge that
blocked Narconon Chilocco from accepting any more patients until it is
certified.
Freeman also last year blocked the state mental health board from using a
mental health department staff report recommending denial. Freeman said the
staff report was biased and criticized the department for using an expert
he considered biased against Narconon Chilocco.
"It's like having an independent investigator to look into the situation in
Kuwait and sending Saddam Hussein to do it," Freeman said last November.
Narconon Chilocco, ordered by the state board to close last week, was
allowed to remain open to take care of its 27 patients. Oklahoma County
District Judge John Amick's order was to remain in effect until a hearing
could be scheduled on the facility's request to continue operating during
the appeal process.
However, Narconon Chilocco cannot accept new patients, Amick said.
Amick made his ruling after a lawyer for the state mental health board
asked for dismissal of Freeman's 1990 order that allowed Narconon Chilocco
to operate until the board ruled on certification.
State officials said the order should have been dropped because the state
mental health board made a ruling on certification.
Woods said Freeman probably will set a hearing next month on Narconon
Chilocco's stay request.
On the appeal, Freeman can overturn the board's denial or order a new
hearing by the board, Woods said. The judge also can uphold the board's
findings.
Narconon Chilocco's appeal claims that "throughout its application for
certification Narconon has been subjected to an excessive wave of
constitutional violations, statutory violations, disparate treatment," Gary
Smith, Narconon Chilocco's president, said.
"We were forced to take this measure to protect the rights of our present
and future clients that do the Narconon program," Smith said.
A petition drive is under way to garner support for the facility, with more
than 1,000 signing, Smith said. More than 3,000 letters from supporters
have been sent to state officials, he said. (Reprinted with permission,
Sunday Oklahoman, Dec. 22, 1991)
The name "Narconon"® is trademarked to the Scientology
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of Scientology. Neither this web page, nor this web site, nor any of the
individuals mentioned herein assisting to educate the public about the
dangers of the Narconon scam are members of or representitives of the
Scientology organization.
If you or a loved one needs help -- real help -- there are
a number of rehabilitation programs you can contact. The real
Narcotics Anonymous organization
can get you in touch with real people who can help you.
Click [HERE] to visit Narcotics
Anonymous's web site. Narcotics Anonymous's telephone number is
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Forward: For a systematic, detailed, professional exposure of
Scientology's "Narconon" front group, visit the
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By Michael McNutt
Enid Bureau
December 26, 1991
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