The Region - News from Oct. 22, 1985

A Los Angeles judge ruled that allegations about the Church of Scientology’s belief in and practice of “auditing” its members may not be introduced as evidence in a $25-million fraud suit. Superior Court Judge Alfred Margolis also granted church motions to disallow any allegations as to the efficacy, successes or failures of auditing, which is the church’s term for its confidential pastoral counseling. The Rev. Ken Hoden, president of the church in Los Angeles, said the pretrial rulings were a major gain for the defense, because “auditing is essential to Scientology, to achieving salvation in the church. . . . To put that on trial would be tantamount to putting praying on trial.” The suit by Larry Wollerscheim--who claims that he spent $100,000 on Scientology counseling believing that it would make him more stable, healthy, confident and productive--contends that the church fraudulently promised that he would achieve those results.