Reporter’s Daily Transcript: Scientology v. Armstrong (excerpt) (May 21, 1984)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; MONDAY, MAY 21, 1984; 1:33 P.M.¹

-o0o-

THE COURT: All right. We are back in session.

Mr. Armstrong, would you retake the stand.

GERALD ARMSTRONG,

having been previously duly sworn, resumed the stand and testified further as follows:

THE COURT: Just state your name again for the record, sir. You are still under oath.

THE WITNESS: Gerald Armstrong.

THE COURT: You may continue, Counsel.

MR. HARRIS: Thank you, Your Honor.

CROSS-EXAMINATION (Resumed)

[…]

Q Mr. Armstrong, at the time that you left the organization did you have in mind that you were not going to be declared a suppressive person? Yes or no.

A Did I have in mind that I was not going to be?

Q That is correct.

A I think I have explained that I —

Q Yes or no, Mr. Armstrong?

A I hoped that I would not be.

Q You hoped that you would not be, but you didn’t know?

A I still don’t know what the organization will do.

Q And your photo incident is what convinced you that this secret definition of enemy was being applied to you; is that correct?

A That was a big piece of it.

Q It wasn’t the declare alone that caused you to believe this; correct?

A I knew that I was under investigation by a B-1 operative by the name of Brad Ballentine [Balentine].

I knew that the organization had, first of all, declared me; that the declare itself was Black Propaganda.

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Once the photos were taken, I made a demand for their return. They refused.

At that point I felt indebted to the people whose photos had been stolen.

I was scared for my life. I was scared for my wife’s life. I knew what the organization was capable of.

I saw that they viewed me as an enemy and that the weight of the intelligence machinery of the organization would be brought against my wife and myself.

Notes