FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, FEB. 10, 1983
For further information contact:
Rev. Heber Jentzsch
(213) 663-2058
HUBBARD WRITES TO LA COURT
LOS ANGELES -- A fully authenticated, handwritten letter from
best-selling author and Dianetics and Scientology Founder L.
Ron Hubbard, bearing a set of his fingerprints and dated
February 3, 1983, has been received by a Los Angeles County
Superior Court judge who immediately ordered that it be part
of the official court records, the Church of Scientology an-
nounced today.
Church president Rev. Heber Jentzsch, who was also sent
an authenticated copy of the letter, said the letter reaffirms
Hubbard's ownership of documents now being held by the court
and asked the judge to expedite their return to the church
which had been holding them in safekeeping.
Jentzsch said the letter "not only categorically settles
any question of Mr. Hubbard's ownership of these documents, but
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HUBBARD - 2
testifies decisively to the current, excellent state of his
well being and to his continuing, vitally active and penetrating
grasp of the whole immensely diverse range of his activities
and interests."
Authenticity of the two-page letter was conclusively
established by renowned experts using three different methods.
Los Angeles handwriting and fingerprint expert Howard
C. Doulder submitted a sworn affidavit attesting that the
script and prints were Hubbard's.
Internationally recognized forensic expert Richard L.
Brunelle used a sophisticated timed-ink identification tech-
nique employed by U.S. government agencies to swear that the
letter was written after February 2, 1983. In his affidavit,
Brunelle stated that he had prepared a unique formulation of
ink not available anywhere in the world and had placed it in
a ballpoint pen cartridge on February 2. Brunelle stated the
ink used by Hubbard was that same ink. "Accordingly," he
stated, "I have conclusively determined that the writing
referred to in this document had to be written on or subse-
quent to February 2, 1983."
Jentzsch said Hubbard's letter to the Hon. Judge John
L. Cole will expedite a law suit brought by the church against
former church filing clerk Gerald Armstrong charging him with
illegally taking documents and records belonging to the church,
including personal letters and memorabilia of Hubbard.
HUBBARD - 3
Armstrong was compelled by judicial order to return the
documents to the care of the court at the request of the
Church of Scientology, Jentzsch added.
In his handwritten letter to the Hon. Judge Cole, Hubbard
noted the court had impounded the records and said, "Some
years ago I loaned to the Church of Scientology many of my
personal papers and entrusted them with the safe custody of
these. Many documents were held by me but due to the fact that
my writing and research over the past several years has precluded
my establishment of any permanent residence," Hubbard wrote, "I
was too short of space in my baggage to retain them and en-
trusted my personal papers and such to the Church of Scientology
for safekeeping and storage."
Hubbard stated, "I hope I have set the record straight and
would sincerely appreciate your assistance in assuring that my
belongings are returned to the church or their legal repre-
sentatives."
Jentzsch stated that Hubbard had written to at least one
other court discussing his newest novel "Battlefield Earth"
and its musical sound track "Space Jazz" and his business and
personal affairs. Jentzsch declined to identify the court but
stated that the second letter from the writer-philosopher
"substantially expands Hubbard's views on a number of timely
matters and affairs."
The Hon. Judge Cole ordered the first letter to be filed
with the affidavits from the experts and made available to
the public "but only in the presence of a deputy county clerk."
HUBBARD - 4
Jentzsch said the letter "proves again how deceitful a
few people have become, tantalizing the media with invented,
hair-raising stories in order to momentarily see their names
in the press. It is a lesson to us all that these people
could tell The Big Lie and have it embraced by the media
unquestioningly, as if it were the truth.
"The truth is," Jentzsch said, "Hubbard is not only
well but again on the best-seller list."
Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth" has appeared in the top
ten best sellers. The book is the biggest science fiction
novel ever published and was written by Hubbard to celebrate
his golden anniversary as a writer.
According to Jentzsch, Hubbard is finishing a sequel
which will be published in ten volumes in 1984. The novel
is 1.4 million words long or the equivalent of about 21
average sized novels.
"He is writing more than ever," Jentzsch said.
Hubbard also produced a musical album two months ago
-- "Space Jazz" -- writing most of the songs and lyrics for
the computer-based music.
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See also: Los Angeles Herald Article 02-11-1983
See also: hubbard-hw-ltr-1983-02-03.html [.pdf]
See also: Hubbard Arrest Record and Fingerprint Card [.pdf]