Kendrick Lichty Moxon (commonly known as Kendrick Moxon) is an American

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data indi ...

official and an attorney with the

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to r ...

Moxon & Kobrin Moxon & Kobrin is a "captive" law firm of the Church of Scientology, meaning that it has no other clients apart from Scientology-affiliated entities. Its headquarters are located in Burbank, California. Wilshire Center, Los Angeles, Wilshire Center ...

. He practices in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, and is a lead counsel for the

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...

. Moxon received a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

in 1972, and a J.D. degree from

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

in 1981. He was admitted to the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

bar association in 1984, and the

State Bar of California The State Bar of California is California's official attorney licensing agency. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, prescribing appropriate disciplin ...

in 1987. Moxon's early work for the Church of Scientology involved legal affairs, and he also held the title of "reverend". He worked out of the Scientology

intelligence agency An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, Intelligence analysis, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objective ...

known as the

Guardian's Office The Office of Special Affairs (OSA), formerly the Guardian's Office, is a department of the Church of Scientology International. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigation ...

(GO), and was named as an unindicted co-conspirator after the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

's investigation into criminal activities by Scientology operatives called "

Operation Snow White Operation Snow White was a criminal conspiracy by the Church of Scientology during the 1970s to purge unfavorable records about Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. This project included a series of infiltrations into and thefts from 136 ...

". An evidence stipulation in the case signed by both parties stated he had provided false handwriting samples to the FBI; Moxon has since said that he did not "knowingly supply" false handwriting samples. The bulk of Moxon's legal work is Scientology-related. He has served as Commissioner of the Scientology-affiliated organization

Citizens Commission on Human Rights The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is a nonprofit organization established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Its stated mission is to "eradicate ...

(CCHR). He represented the Church of Scientology in 1988 in a billion-dollar class action lawsuit against the organization by former Scientologists which was dismissed in Los Angeles Superior Court. In 1990 Moxon represented the organization in a suit against the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

in an attempt to gain access to information about Scientology held by the IRS. He assisted 50Scientologists in filing separate lawsuits against the organization

Cult Awareness Network The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. It was founded in the wake ...

(CAN), which led to the

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

of the organization. He represented the plaintiff in the

Jason Scott case The Jason Scott case was a United States civil suit, brought against deprogrammer Rick Ross, two of his associates, and the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), for the abduction and failed deprogramming of Jason Scott, a member of the United Pentecos ...

against CAN and cult

deprogrammer Deprogramming is a controversial tactic that attempts to help someone who has "strongly held convictions," often coming from cults or New Religious Movements (NRM). Deprogramming aims to assist a person who holds a controversial or restrictive be ...

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...

. A Scientology publication said Moxon had used church doctrine in bringing down CAN. Its assets were bought in bankruptcy court by a Scientologist and legal associate of Moxon's. Moxon said he was proud of what he had done, referring to the old CAN organization as a "hate group". Moxon represented the manager of the Scientology facility Golden Era Productions in a filing against

Keith Henson Howard Keith Henson (born 1942) is an American electrical engineer and writer. Henson writes on subjects including space engineering, space law ( Moon treaty), memetics, cryonics, evolutionary psychology, and the physical limitations of Transh ...

, a critic of Scientology. Moxon filed an affidavit in 2000 in the case involving the criminal prosecution of the Church of Scientology in the death of Scientologist

Lisa McPherson Lisa McPherson (February 10, 1959 – December 5, 1995) was an American member of the Church of Scientology who died of a pulmonary embolism while under the care of the Church's Flag Service Organization (FSO) in Clearwater, Florida. Following ...

, and defended her treatment by Scientology staffers as part of a religious practice.

Early life and family

Moxon was born in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He graduated from

in 1972 with a

degree in

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

. He received his J.D. degree from

in 1981. He was admitted to the bar of

on September6, 1984, and the

on June17, 1987. In 1979, Moxon and Carla Smith had a daughter, Stacy Grove Meyer. Meyer died on June25, 2000, after she fell off a ladder and was

electrocuted Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

after touching a 7,200-volt wire while working at Golden Era Productions. Golden Era Productions was cited by the

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Division of Occupational Safety and Health for improper wiring precautions near a vault where Grove Meyer had been working. The

California Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Division of Occupational Safety and Health of California (DOSH, but more commonly known as Cal/OSHA) is an agency of the Government of California established by the California Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1973. Administered by the Califo ...

investigated the incident, and determined that her death was not related to the safety violations at the facility. Grove Meyer had worked for two years at Golden Era Productions in landscaping and maintenance.

Guardian's Office

In 1977, Moxon served as an official of the

, and held the title of "reverend". His role within the organization in 1977 was called "Director of the Ministry of Legal Affairs of the Founding Church of Scientology". Along with Scientology founder

L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianeti ...

and nineteen other Scientologists, Moxon was named as an unindicted co-conspirator after the

's investigation into criminal activities by Scientology operatives called "

".United States of America v. Mary Sue Hubbard, et al.. 1979a. "Response to Informal Bill of Particulars." United States District Court: Columbia . No. 78-401. January 11 At the time of the indictments and investigation by the

in the Operation Snow White case, Moxon was working in the church

then known as the

(GO).
text-only version
Operation Snow White was the name coined by Scientology founder

for a mission by the organization's intelligence division to illegally obtain documents from the United States government. As part of Operation Snow White, members of the Guardian's Office broke into U.S. government offices including those of the

, in order to steal documents relating to Scientology. A 1979 stipulation of evidence signed by officials for Scientology states that Moxon provided false handwriting samples of GO operative

Michael Meisner Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

to the FBI. Both parties to the case were in agreement that Moxon responded to an October14, 1976

subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...

titled "Grand Jury subpoena for all original known handwriting exemplars of Michael Meisner and the employment application and personnel records of Mr. Meisner in the possession of the Church of Scientology" by providing "fake handwriting samples in lieu of Mr. Meisner's true handwriting exemplars" to the United States government.United States of America SAv. Mary Sue Hubbard, et al.. 1979b. "Stipulation of Evidence." United States District Court: Columbia . Criminal No. 78-401. October 25: 283 The stipulation stated Moxon was "directed to supply the government with fake handwriting samples". Nine Scientologists signed the stipulation as part of a plea bargain. According to a 1976 letter from the "District of Columbia Security Office" of the

, "Rick Moxon" and four other individuals had either "full data or almost all of it", about covert operations against the United States government. According to the Guardian's Office letter, Moxon was prevented under penalty of a

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

50,000 fine from disclosing his knowledge of the church cover operations. The

non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...

was titled "Covenant of Non-Disclosure; 'Doomsday Agreement'". The letter told an official for the Church of Scientology to instruct Moxon "if they do talk, then they will be expelled forever, hounded by the GO uardian Officeuntil doomsday, and left to rot in the Physical Universe". Moxon stated to the ''

Phoenix New Times ''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...

'' that the stipulation of evidence was written by FBI agents and signed by church officials. He asserted that he did not "knowingly supply" samples of false handwriting to the FBI, and said that he was investigated by bar associations for

and

before being admitted to the respective bar associations. According to the ''Phoenix New Times'', Moxon is "in good standing" with both bar associations. Former church intelligence operative Frank Oliver told the ''Phoenix New Times'' that in his work for the replacement to the Guardian's Office, the

Office of Special Affairs The Office of Special Affairs (OSA), formerly the Guardian's Office, is a department of the Church of Scientology International. According to the Church, the OSA is responsible for directing legal affairs, public relations, pursuing investigation ...

, his last assignment for the organization was to assist Moxon in setting up a special unit focused on the

. Oliver stated that the goal of his work with Moxon was to recruit individuals who would become plaintiffs in lawsuits against the Cult Awareness Network.

Church of Scientology attorney

Early work

Moxon acted as attorney for the Church of Scientology in 1988 when former Scientologists sued the organization in a billion-dollar class action lawsuit. According to Moxon the former Scientologists included some members who were subject to

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

, and they requested the return of donations they had made to the organization, as well as payment for time working on its behalf. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, and Moxon characterized the plaintiffs as "a few former members who apparently banded together for the purpose of making a monetary killing". In 1990 Moxon represented the Church of Scientology in a lawsuit against the

in an attempt to gain access to government documents on the organization. "The actions taken by the IRS in this case are typical of the agency's harassive treatment of religious groups," said Moxon in a statement in ''

The Fresno Bee ''The Fresno Bee'' is a daily newspaper serving Fresno, California, and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's central San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers. I ...

''. During the Church of Scientology's battle with the IRS, Moxon's law firm hired

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

s to investigate the government agency. Private investigator Michael L. Shomers said he set up a dummy operation called "Washington News Bureau", posed as a reporter, and attempted to collect material on Scientology critics. Shomers also said he infiltrated IRS conferences in attempts to collect data on IRS employees that may have been skipping appointments, drinking or having affairs. Shomers said he was either paid in cash or by checks from Moxon's firm Bowles & Moxon. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Moxon said Shomers' activities were legal, and that he and other Scientology attorneys used private investigators to counter falsehoods from "rogue government agents". In 1993, Mario Majorski tried to sue a

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

professor who questioned

. According to court records, Moxon was one of his attorneys in the case.

Cult Awareness Network litigation

Moxon assisted Scientologists in filing 50lawsuits against the

(CAN), which eventually led to the

of the organization. Moxon confirmed to the ''

St. Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...

'' that his firm assisted the Scientologists with their litigation against CAN for mostly no charge, and that Scientology churches "helped a little bit, but very little" with the case. Moxon asserted that his legal services were requested by individual Scientologists because of his religious discrimination litigation experience. "These were filed by ndividualScientologists who were victimized by CAN. That’s the long and short of it," said Moxon. Moxon stated to ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...

'' "They didn't they didn't spring up serendipitously. A number of Scientologists came to our firm and said, 'I'm being discriminated against by CAN. Jason Scott of the Life Tabernacle Church in

Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area and has variously been characterized as a s ...

was taken from his home in 1991 and subjected to "

deprogramming Deprogramming is a controversial tactic that attempts to help someone who has "strongly held convictions," often coming from cults or New Religious Movements (NRM). Deprogramming aims to assist a person who holds a controversial or restrictive be ...

". Deprogrammer

had been referred to Scott's mother by a local volunteer for CAN, and Moxon represented Scott in a lawsuit against Ross and CAN. Moxon took on Jason Scott's case ''

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

''. According to a ''

'' report on Scientology's actions against the

, two affidavits used by Moxon in the case were false. Scott won a jury judgment of

5 million including $1.8million against CAN, and CAN later declared bankruptcy. After the CAN organization was purchased in bankruptcy court by a Scientology attorney, Scott fired Moxon and hired Graham Berry, a Los Angeles lawyer who had previously represented clients in suits against the Church of Scientology. Scott and Ross settled in 1996 for $5,000 and 200hours of time from Ross for his intervention services. Scott stated that he felt he had been manipulated as part of the Church of Scientology's plan to destroy CAN. According to the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'', Scott and his relatives felt Moxon was not paying enough attention to Scott's financial judgment, and was instead focused on a "personal vendetta" against CAN. "Basically, Jason said he was tired of being the poster boy for the Scientologists. My son has never been a member of the Church of Scientology. When he was approached by Moxon, he was lured by his promises of a $1million settlement, so he went for it," said Scott's mother Katherine Tonkin in a statement to the ''Chicago Tribune''. After Scott fired Moxon, Moxon filed emergency motions in two states and alleged Scott had been influenced by supporters of CAN to hire Berry as his lawyer. "He's really been abused by CAN and disgustingly abused by this guy Berry," said Moxon in a statement in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. Moxon, who had argued in the case that Ross and associates had hindered a competent adult's freedom to make his own religious decisions, immediately filed court papers seeking to rescind the settlement and appoint a guardian for Scott, whom he called "incapacitated." That effort failed. Jason Scott stated he felt he had been a "pawn" in Scientology's "whole game". Moxon was involved in the sale of CAN's confidential files when the organization was in bankruptcy proceedings. Individuals that had confided in the prior version of the CAN organization expressed anxiety about their confidential files being sold to other groups, but Moxon stated: "People who have committed crimes don't want them to be revealed." Moxon's former legal associate, Scientologist Steven Hayes, purchased the assets of the Cult Awareness Network in bankruptcy court. In 2000, Moxon co-authored a paper on the Cult Awareness Network with

Anson D. Shupe Anson D. Shupe, Jr. (21 January 1948 – 4 May 2015) was an American sociologist noted for his studies of religious groups and their countermovements, family violence and clergy misconduct. He was affiliated with the New Cult Awareness Network, a ...

and Susan E. Darnell. The paper, titled "CAN, We Hardly Knew Ye: Sex, Drugs, Deprogrammers' Kickbacks, and Corporate Crime in the (Old) Cult Awareness Network", was presented at the 2000 meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. The old "CAN no longer exists because it was a hate group that destroyed families. I’m very proud of what I’ve done," said Moxon in a statement in ''

The American Lawyer ''The American Lawyer'' is a monthly legal magazine and website published by ALM Media. The periodical and its parent company, ALM (then American Lawyer Media), were founded in 1979 by Steven Brill. According to a Scientology publication, Moxon utilized Scientology doctrine to bring about the demise of the Cult Awareness Network. The publication, authored by Scientology official Kurt Weiland, stated: "A civil case was filed by the victim against

ick Ick or ICK may refer to: * William Ick, (1800–1844), botanist *Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a single-celled parasite. Also known as Ich *Inhibitor cystine knot *Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest *Trains in the Netherlands, Intercit ...

Ross and the Cult Awareness Network. This time he had an attorney who knew what he was doing and understood PTS/SP tech! The attorney was a Scientologist and OT perating ThetanRick Moxon." "PTS/SP tech" is Scientology terminology referring to the organization's founder

's prescribed tactics of handling enemies called " suppressive persons" (SPs) and their associates, called "potential trouble sources" (PTSs). The Cult Awareness Network was seen by Scientology as a "SP" organization.

Subsequent legal efforts

Moxon represented manager Ken Hoden of the Church of Scientology's Golden Era Productions in February 1998 when he filed a

restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protection or ...

against

after Henson protested against Scientology in May 1997 and January 1998 outside the Golden Era film studios in

Gilman Hot Springs, California Gilman Hot Springs is an unincorporated community in Riverside County, California. It lies along California State Route 79, adjacent to the San Jacinto campus of Mt. San Jacinto College. Geography Potrero Creek exits Massacre Canyon and join ...

. Moxon had argued that Henson was dangerous based on comments critical of Scientologists he had posted on the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, and his knowledge in the fields of

cryonics Cryonics (from el, κρύος ''kryos'' meaning 'cold') is the low-temperature freezing (usually at ) and storage of human remains, with the speculative hope that resurrection may be possible in the future. Cryonics is regarded with skepticis ...

and explosives. Hoden received a temporary restraining order against Henson, but the Riverside Superior Court judge refused to make the restraining order permanent. In 1999, Moxon represented members of the

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...

and

Unification Church The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or "Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Spi ...

in a lawsuit against a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

state task force which was investigating the effects of religious cults on college campuses. The Unification Church and Seventh-day Adventists members claimed that their constitutional rights were violated and described the "Task Force to Study the Effects of Cult Activities on Public Senior Higher Education Institutions" as a "religious inquisition". With fellow Scientology attorney Helena Kobrin, Moxon filed an affidavit in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court in March 2000, complaining to the judge about the criminal prosecution of the Church of Scientology related to the death of

. They claimed that the prosecution held an "extreme religious bias" and a "narrow-minded concept of a church". They defended the practice of the Scientology staffers that had kept Lisa McPherson at the

Fort Harrison Hotel The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, US. It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a ...

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...

, asserting they had been involved in the "

Introspection Rundown The Introspection Rundown is a controversial Church of Scientology auditing process that is intended to handle a psychotic episode or complete mental breakdown. Introspection is defined for the purpose of this rundown as a condition where the p ...

", which they called an "entirely religious" practice developed by Scientology founder

. They wrote that "Forcing a Scientologist to receive psychiatric services would be like forcing an Orthodox Jew to eat pork or forcing a devoted Catholic to have an abortion. It is simply unacceptable and unthinkable to our religious faith and conscience." Moxon said that the wrongful death lawsuit filed by members of McPherson's family against the Church of Scientology was "nothing more than a vehicle to say bad things about the church". The criminal prosecution in the Lisa McPherson case was dropped due to issues with record-keeping by the

medical examiner The medical examiner is an appointed official in some American jurisdictions who is trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictio ...

; a

wrongful death Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, l ...

civil suit was settled in 2004. According to Scientology general counsel Elliot Abelson, the bulk of Moxon's legal work is Scientology-related. In addition to his office with his law firm, as of 1997 Moxon also kept a legal office in the Church of Scientology's headquarters at

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...

. Moxon has also served as legal advisor to the Scientology-affiliated organization

(CCHR). According to a CCHR press release from 2001, Moxon represented CCHR International as its Commissioner. In 2014, Moxon sought arbitration through the National Arbitration Forum to have the Internet domain name, ''KendrickMoxon.com'', transferred from Donald Myers to Moxon's ownership. Moxon successfully demonstrated to the Forum arbitrator that Myers "registered and used the domain name in bad faith", and Moxon's petition was granted. In 2013, Private Investigator Dwayne Powell was arrested on obstruction and prowling charges related to following

Ron Miscavige ''Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me'' is a book by Ron Miscavige and Dan Koon published in 2016 in the United States and United Kingdom. It presents the personal account of Ron Miscavige's almost five decades in the Church o ...

. During the arrest, police found firearms and a homemade silencer. After his arrest, Powell claimed to have been paid $10,000 per week by Scientology through an intermediary. According to the Los Angeles Times, Moxon's firm paid Powell $16,000 and kept Powell on the payroll two years after his arrest.

Works

;Papers * Shupe, Anson, Kendrick Moxon, and Susan E. Darnell. 2000. "CAN, We Hardly Knew Ye: Sex, Drugs, Deprogrammers' Kickbacks, and Corporate Crime in the (Old) Cult Awareness Network." Paper presented at the 2000 meeting of the

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (founded in 1949) was formed to advance research in the social scientific perspective on religious institutions and experiences. The ''Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion'' is published by ...

References

External links

Kendrick Moxon on LinkedIn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moxon, Kendrick Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American Scientologists American University alumni Antonin Scalia Law School alumni California lawyers People from Pennsylvania People from Glendale, California Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Scientology and law Scientology officials