Criminal Charges Agains Scientology Dropped in McPherson Case - Full text of the Nolle Prosequi (June 12, 2000)

On June 12, 2000 State Attorney Bernie McCabe dropped all criminal charges against the Church of Scientology in the McPherson case.
Lisa McPherson, 36, died on December 5, 1995, after she had been in the care of Scientology members for 17 days at the headquarters in Clearwater, Florida.
In 1998, Pinellas County, Florida, State Attorney Bernie McCabe charged the Church with two felonies, practicing medicine without a license and criminal neglect of a disabled adult in McPherson's death. No individual Church members were charged with any crimes.
In February this year, Pinellas Medical Examiner Joan Wood changed her finding in the cause of McPherson's death from undetermined to accidental after experts for the defendant challenged her original finding. At this time, CESNUR correctly predicted that the criminal McPherson case was collapsing, although some anti-cultists disagreed.
A separate civil wrongful death suit by McPherson's estate against the Church is still pending, supported by the now famous $ 11,000 affidavit by Dr. Stephen Kent. No trial date has been set.

The original Nolle Prosequi document follows:

You will please enter a Nolle Prosequi as to the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., in the above-entitled cause due to the State's inability to prove critical forensic and causation issues beyond and to the exclusion of a reasonable doubt as a consequence of the Medical Examiner's change of opinion which is reflected in the Amendment of the Death Certificate and Amendment of the Autopsy report dated February 16, 2000.

Dated this 12th day of June, 2000

BERNIE McCABE, State Attorney Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida

by Douglas E. Crow Executive Assistant State Attorney