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The family of Lisa McPherson sued the Church of Scientology and individuals involved for wrongful death on February 19, 1997, while the Church claimed it did nothing wrong toward McPherson. [41]

On Sept 15, 1998, Dr. David Minkoff settled his portion of the wrongful death suit by having his malpractice insurance pay $100,000 to the estate. [42]

On November 13, 1998, the Church was indicted on two felony charges in McPherson's death; abuse or neglect of a disabled adult, a second-degree felony, and unauthorized practice of medicine, a third-degree felony; the first criminal charges ever filed in the United States against the Church of Scientology.[5] These charges were brought against the Church as a corporation, not against any individuals, and the maximum penalty, had the charges been pursued and the Church found guilty, would have been a $15,000 fine plus costs.[14] On December 6, 1999, Florida State Attorney Bernie McCabe presented a response to Scientology's attempt to get the case dismissed.[43]

On Feb 23, 2000, Medical examiner Joan Wood changed the cause of death of Lisa McPherson to an "accident." "Gone from the new report is the original reference to the bed rest and dehydration. Wood still traces the death to a blood clot behind McPherson's knee. But she lists McPherson's psychosis and a minor auto accident as major factors." [1]

On March 8, 2000, a group of more than 200 Scientologists moved to have the criminal case dismissed on the claim that it had "chilled the religious rights of every Scientologist" and that other Scientologists were now being treated with concern, suspicion or ridicule by non-Scientologists. A central point of the motion was that McPherson had undergone the Introspection Rundown, which the brief putting forth the motion called an "entirely religious" practice.[44]

On April 4, 2000, Scientology moved to have the entire case dismissed. "The entire basis for the state's prosecution of this case has now collapsed," begins one of the many Scientology legal briefs arguing the case should be dismissed.[45]

On June 12, 2000, on the advice of Assistant State Attorney Douglas Crow, State Attorney Bernie McCabe dropped the criminal charges against the Church. According to a memo by Crow, medical examiner Joan Wood could not be counted on to confidently testify:

“ Her inability to logically explain her opinions makes it clear that she cannot withstand cross-examination in this case. The actions and testimony of Dr. Wood, a forensic witness essential to the state's case, has so muddled the equities and underlying facts in this case, however that it has undermined what began as a strong legal position. ... our ability to establish these necessary facts beyond a reasonable doubt has clearly been compromised.[5] ”

Later State Attorney Bernie McCabe stated:

“ Number one, the practice-of-medicine charge was never going to fly on its own, it needed to be there with something else. And the abuse case was predicated almost completely on the dehydration, leading to embolism, leading to death. If you can't establish that, there is nothing to support the abuse charge. [46] ”

Scientologist OT 8 Dr. David I. Minkoff had his license suspended on August 3, 2001 for one year and was fined $10,000 for prescribing medicine to McPherson at the request of her FSO caretakers without having ever seen her.[15]

On April 29, 2002, the church accused McPherson attorney Ken Dandar of professional misconduct and perjury and tried to get him removed from the case.[47]

On June 22, 2002, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Frank Quesada dismissed the count alleging that McPherson was falsely imprisoned on the McPherson's civil suit.

“ Based on the undisputed facts of this case, plaintiff has not made and cannot make a showing that Lisa McPherson was unlawfully restrained "against her will' by the defendants." "In fact, all of the evidence indicates the opposite. Lisa McPherson refused psychiatric observation or admission at the hospital; she expressly stated her desire to receive the religious care and assistance from her fellow congregants that she and they wanted her to have.[9] ”

Scientology conducted a survey in the Clearwater area which showed that four out of five residents have a negative opinion of Scientology.[48] They tried to use this as a reason for a change of venue, then withdrew the request.[49]

Scientology sued attorney Ken Dandar for breach of contract, for having added David Miscavige to the wrongful death lawsuit despite a mutual agreement not to add additional defendants. In a 2003 jury trial, Scientology asked for over two million dollars in damages, but received only $4,500 in attorney fees and no punitive damages.[50] [51]

The civil suit was settled out of court on May 28, 2004, under terms undisclosed to the public.[52]

The Church of Scientology now makes members sign a waiver specifically against suing the Church over the Introspection Rundown. [53]

During the civil suit against the Church of Scientology brought by McPherson's family members, an injunction was sought and obtained to keep the Scientology-critical film "The Profit" from being shown. The stated reason was that it might prejudice the jury pool against Scientology. As of 2007, that injunction is still active. [54]

A group of Scientology critics led by Bob Minton named the short-lived Lisa McPherson trust after her.

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The bizarre treatment included withholding water for over a week. When she was finally taken to a hospital, she was covered in bruises and bedsores.

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Scientology hired its own team of experts to oppose Wood’s findings, including the help of two nationally known pathologists; Michael M. Baden (A former chief medical examiner in New York City that has played roles in some of the country's most celebrated death cases including the autopsy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., actor John Belushi and former baseball manager Billy Martin; the re-autopsy civil rights leader Medgar Evers and led the 1979 congressional re-examination of evidence in the assassination of President Kennedy.) and Drs. Cyril H. Wecht (A lawyer and the county coroner in Pittsburgh, who worked on the 1979 Kennedy assassination commission and is a frequent commentator on major death cases.). Drs. Michael M. Baden and Cyril H. Wecht concluded that McPherson, 36, died suddenly and unpredictably of a blood clot in her left lung that originated from a knee bruise she suffered in a minor auto accident 17 days earlier. [28]

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This scientific evidence was then sent to Joan Wood for review. [29] The Scientific evidence sent to Woods included:

Literature that shows that dehydration does not cause blood clots. [1]
Research on a substance known as ketone, which people produce when they are dehydrated, starving or even fasting, tests of McPherson's bodily fluids showed no ketone. [1]
Findings from a body measurement expert hired by the church. The expert compared autopsy photos of McPherson with those taken in happier times, just before she became psychotic and entered the Fort Harrison. The expert concluded there was "no appreciable weight loss," which counters the prosecution's view that McPherson lost 20 to 40 pounds while in Scientology's care. [1]
A report by a Morton Plant Hospital doctor who saw McPherson just before she entered Scientology's Fort Harrison Hotel, McPherson already was thin with protruding cheek bones. [30]
A report by Robert D. Davis, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy for Wood's office, concluded McPherson's body was of average nutritional status. [30]
Medical literature and sworn testimony that it says proves the eye fluid samples were improperly handled by Wood's office, incompetently tested at an independent lab and ultimately contaminated. [30]

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She also took the unusual step of elaborating for reporters, publicly stating that lab results on McPherson's eye fluid showed she died slowly.

Wood said she wanted to correct church lawyers, who were saying McPherson's death was sudden and unpredictable. She concluded McPherson went several days without fluids, was comatose and suffered roach bites while in Scientology's care.

The church was outraged, calling her a liar.

Then, late last year, Wood agreed to review her controversial opinions at the request of the church, which provided her with mounds of new information.

As part of the review, McPherson's eye fluid was retested two more times.

The review is mandated in Wood's policy manual, which says the medical examiner will "readdress key issues" in a case if "credible new evidence is presented, regardless of its source."

The result: a revised report and the finding that McPherson's death was accidental.

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December 5 1995

Three Scientologists, including Flag Medical Liaison Officer Janis Johnson-Fitzgerald, took Lisa to New Port Richey (25 miles and 4 other hospitals away) to be treated by Scientologist physician David Minkoff (who is at least an OTVII), Detective Andrews said. ``Lisa at first didn't want to see a doctor but we talked her into seeing a doctor,'' Brian Anderson said. ``She knew Dr. Minkoff and he is an expert in infectious diseases so that's why she was taken there.''

Elliott Abelson stated that Lisa asked to be taken to a Scientology doctor and that she walked part way to the van.
DEC. 5
9:30 p.m.

McPherson arrives at Columbia New Port Richey Hospital, which is 24 miles from the Fort Harrison Hotel - about a 35 minute drive. She is in the back seat of a Scientology van, accompanied by two people, including Janis Johnson, Scientology's medical liaison officer. Johnson is a medical doctor but is not licensed to practice in Florida. McPherson has no pulse and is not breathing. Emergency room personnel begin CPR.

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