Computer expert to study church data judge orders review of
Scientology material
Rocky Mountain News
Wednesday October 4, 1995
By Karen Abbott

A federal judge ordered a computer expert Tuesday to study disputed
computer materials in a legal battle over the Church of
Scientology's beliefs.

Some of the church's most secret beliefs, meanwhile, will be
sealed.

Denver U.S. District Judge John Kane ordered the computer equipment
and data turned over to the court for inspection by Gary Nutt, a
University of Colorado computer sciences professor who testified
Monday for Scientology critics Lawrence Wollersheim and Robert
Penny.

Wollersheim and Penny are former Scientologists who have
distributed information about the church on the Internet. The
church has sued them on grounds they are violating copyright and
trade-secrets laws.

In August the church, possessing with a court order, seized the two
men's computer equipment and related materials in surprise raids at
their homes.

The church and its two critics each argued Tuesday their side
should have the computer materials. Scientology leaders said they
would be committing heresy if they released the materials.
Wollersheim and Penny accused church officials of violating Kane's
order that they return the materials and asked Kane to find them in
contempt of court.

But in a 13-page document amending and clarifying his order, Kane
said the original court orders required the materials to be in the
hands of the church's lawyers, not church officials. He said no
one's religious freedom would be violated by any order that the
lawyers hand over the materials to Wollersheim and Penny or anyone
else. Kane said the material that church officials say is most
sacred and secret, a copy of which purportedly was in Wollersheim's
computer, will be sealed until further notice in accordance with an
earlier federal appeals court order in the case.

The two sides also had argued about the condition of the computer
equipment and materials and whether the other side had tampered
with the evidence. Kane ordered Nutt to examine the materials and
report on whether they had been altered or tampered with. Nutt also
is to get the computer equipment in working order if possible.

Until Nutt reports to him, Kane said, he won't rule on the contempt
issue.