Arnaldo Lerma

Infobox Person
name=Arnie Lerma


imagesize=150px
birth_date=November 18, 1950
residence=Alexandria, Virginia
occupation=A/V technician

Arnaldo (Arnie) Pagliarini Lerma (born November 18, 1950) is an American writer and activist, a former Scientologist, and critic of Scientology, who has appeared in television, media and radio interviews. Lerma was the first person to post the court document known as the Fishman Affidavit, including the Xenu story, to the internet via the Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology.

Time in Scientology

Lerma started in Scientology at the age of 16 at the urging of his mother, an executive director for the Washington, DC church. He was impressed by L. Ron Hubbard's exaggerated account of his military career and scientific credentials. [cite speech
first=Arnaldo|last=Lerma
title=How I Got Fooled
location=Washington, DC
date=2008-03-15
url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=TGBepC3StII|accessdate=2008-05-18] Lerma joined Scientology's Sea Org and was assigned in 1976 to a post working alongside Hubbard's daughter Suzette. They became romantically involved and planned to elope. Other Sea Org officers discovered their plans and, according to Lerma, threatened to mutilate him if he did not cancel the marriage. Lerma quit Scientology soon afterward. [cite news
first=David|last=Yonke
date=2005-07-02
title=Scientology Story Sparks Heated Response
work=Toledo Blade
url=http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050702/NEWS10/507020356/-1/ARCHIVES30|accessdate=2008-05-18]

RTC v. Lerma

After Lerma posted the Fishman Affidavit in August 1995, his home was raided by federal marshals and lawyers from the Church of Scientology, alleging he was in possession of copyrighted documents. [cite web |first = Nick |last = Ryan |title = The gospel of the web |url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2000/mar/23/religion.internet |work = Technology |publisher = The Guardian |date = 2000-03-23 |accessdate = 2007-10-12 ] [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/Lerma/ Scientology and the Lerma Raid ] ] A lawsuit was filed against Lerma and his Internet service provider by the church's Religious Technology Center, (RTC), claiming copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation.

The Washington Post and two investigative reporters were added to the lawsuit, as an article written about the raid contained three brief quotes from Scientology "Advanced Technology" documents. [cite news
title = Church in Cyberspace - Its Sacred Writ Is on the Net. Its Lawyers Are on the Case.
last = Fisher
first = Marc
date = 1995-08-19
publisher = Washington Post
quote = [http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/washingtonpost/lermaraid091995.html Convenience copy] ] The Washington Post, et al were released from the suit when USDJ Leonie Brinkema ruled in a memorandum on November 28, 1995:

:"When the RTC first approached the Court with its ex parte request for the seizure warrant and temporary restraining order, the dispute was presented as a straight-forward one under copyright and trade secret law. However, the Court is now convinced that the primary motivation of RTC in suing Lerma, DGS and The Post is to stifle criticism of Scientology in general and to harass its critics. As the increasingly vitriolic rhetoric of its briefs and oral argument now demonstrates, the RTC appears far more concerned about criticism of Scientology than vindication of its secrets."
(Memorandum Opinion of November 28, 1995, by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema; Religious Technology Center v. Arnaldo Lerma, Washington Post, Mark Fisher, and Richard Leiby)

The Memorandum Opinion acknowledges what Scientology practices to this day: the "Fair Game" policy, a written directive by L. Ron Hubbard that encourages harassment of anyone who speaks out against the church. In conclusion, the court awarded RTC the statutory minimum of $2,500 for five instances of non-willful copyright violation.

Lermanet

Arnie Lerma started a website "Lermanet" which concentrates on news about Scientology and on documenting lawsuits by Scientology.

Arnie Lerma also hosts on Lermanet the website of journalist Joe Cisar who translated German articles about Scientology and reported investigations.

Also on Lermanet are detailed investigations and correspondence about the involvement of Scientology with the Liberty Lobby, Willis Carto and The Spotlight including some holocaust denial and pro-denial materials. [ [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/carto/ The tax-exempt prejudice of L. Ron Hubbard ] ] [ [http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/carto/bw.htm Historical revisionism perseveres ] ] Described by an unknown author are documents that establish Scientology's membership and involvement with Willis Carto including historically dated media publications.

Arnie Lerma is also noted for discovering an altered picture on a Scientology website on New Year's Eve in 1999, one that appeared to inflate the number of members attending a millennial event at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in California. He posted the pictures to his website identifying the alterations, with the most prominent feature being the "man with no head." The story appeared on national television and in the press. [cite web |url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-01/04/059r-010400-idx.html |title = The Reliable Source - Scientology's Funny Photos |accessdate = 2007-08-10 |last = Grove |first = Lloyd |coauthors = Berselli, Beth |date = 2000-01-04|work = Washington Post|publisher =]

Writings

* [http://www.lermanet.com/cos/libertyI.html "The Internet is the Liberty Tree of the 90's"]
* [http://www.lermanet.com/zinger.htm "Copyrights and Why Scientology Hates Arnaldo Lerma"]
* [http://www.lermanet.com/scientologyscandals/silence.htm "Scientology Gag Agreements - A Conspiracy for Silence"]
* [http://www.lermanet.com/exit/FINAL.htm "The art of deception"] , 1996

Notes

References

*cite web |title = Church of Scientology protects secrets on the Internet |url = http://www.cnn.com/US/9508/scientology/index.html |work = |publisher = CNN |date = 1995-08-26 |accessdate = 2007-10-19
*cite news |author = Wendy M. Grossman |title = alt.scientology.war |url = http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.12/alt.scientology.war.html |work = Wired magazine 3.12 |publisher = Wired |date = December 1995 |accessdate = 2007-08-03
*cite web |first = Dan |last = Kennedy |title = Getting Clear at BU? |url = http://www.salon.com/media/media960515.html |work = Media Circus |publisher = Salon |date = 1996-05-15 |accessdate = 2007-10-19
*cite web |first = Alan |last = Prendergast |title = Hush-Hush Money |url = http://www.westword.com/1997-08-14/news/hush-hush-money/ |work = |publisher = Westword |date = 1997-08-14 |accessdate = 2007-10-19
*cite book |last = Grossman |first = Wendy |title = Net. Wars |year = 1997 |month = October |url = http://www.nyupress.org/netwars/ |accessdate = 2007-08-03 |publisher = New York University Press |location = New York |id = ISBN 0-8147-3103-1 |pages = p.9 |chapter = Copyright Terrorists |chapterurl = http://www.nyupress.org/netwars/textonly/pages/chapter06/ch06_09.html
*cite web |first = Lucy |last = Morgan |title = Hardball |url = http://www.sptimes.com/News/32899/TampaBay/Hardball.html |work = Special Report |publisher = St. Petersburg Times |date = 1998-01-28 |accessdate = 2007-10-19
*cite web |url = http://news.com.com/2100-1023-217696.html |title = Scientology loses copyright round |accessdate = 2007-08-03 |last = Borland |first = John|date = 1998-11-09|work = CNET|publisher =
*cite web |url = http://news.com.com/Scientologists+settle+legal+battle/2100-1023_3-223683.html?tag=item |title = Scientologists settle legal battle |accessdate = 2007-08-03 |last = Macavinta |first = Courtney|date = 1999-03-30|work = CNET|publisher =
*cite web |first = Will |last = Knight |title = Scientologists admit to altering New Year photos |url = http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,2076173,00.htm |work = |publisher = ZDNet |date = 2000-01-10 |accessdate = 2007-10-19

External links

* [http://www.lermanet.com/ Lermanet.com: Exposing the con] (Arnie Lerma's Website) Media, Documentation and Pictures of 1995 Raid
* [http://www.cnn.com/US/9508/scientology/ "Church of Scientology protects secrets on the Internet"] CNN, Washington, August 26, 1995
* [http://www.scientology-kills.org/affidavits_docs/lerma.htm Affadavit by Arnie Lerma] dated September 6, 1995.
* [http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/Scientology_cases/brinkema_rtc_washpost_112895.opinion "Brinkema, Leonie M. Civil Action No. 95-1107-A: Memorandum Opinion"] Alexandria: US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia-Alexandria Division, November 28, 1995
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.12/alt.scientology.war_pr.html "alt.scientology.war"] by Wendy Grossman, Wired Magazine, December, 1995