Michael Pattinson

Michael Pattinson is a former member of the Church of Scientology, now an apostate. In collusion with his former attorney, Graham Berry (who chose to have his state bar license suspended for nine months in settlement of charges against him by the California State Bar) Pattinson entered into civil litigation against the Church in an apparent attempt to force the Church to pay him money. His capacity for dishonesty and harassing conduct is demonstrated by his filing and pursuing a frivolous claim.

Pattinson left the Church in 1996 after being interviewed regarding an unchanging pattern of unethical behavior. His conduct during this interview was so rancorous that he later offered a written apology. Regardless, a year later, after having made the acquaintance of anti-religious extremist, Graham Berry, declared a “vexatious litigant” by a California court for repeatedly pursuing harassing litigation against the Church, Pattinson filed a criminal complaint against the Church which was dismissed by the State Attorney with the following statement:

“The State Attorney’s office cannot prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt due to several reasons. First, the victim faxed an apology to both defendants for his irrational behavior during the meeting. The apology did not reference the false imprisonment or any restraint whatsoever. Secondly, there are no independent eye witnesses, physical evidence or admissions by the defendants to support the victim’s testimony. Thirdly, the victim reported this crime nearly one year after the event. The victim is clearly biased in his current efforts to sue the Church of Scientology for $150,000. Finally, the facts presented by the victim regarding the amount of restraint used by the defendants is insufficient to secure a conviction for false imprisonment.”

Following the dismissal of this criminal complaint, Pattinson and Berry filed a civil suit in May of 1998, alleging, among other things, that President Clinton, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Special Trade Representative, two IRS Commissioners and the then Prime Minister of Russia, were part of some international conspiracy to advance Scientology across the world.

This suit was either dismissed or voluntarily withdrawn for “amendment” no less than six times. In fact, the filing and withdrawal of this complaint was the subject of a sanctions order against Graham Berry for frivolous and harassing litigation tactics.

When referring to Berry’s complaint, Judges stated:

“But let me say this to you, […] Mr. Berry, I really expect a complaint that is – has a purpose to it that is not engaged in something that goes out on the Internet which is a rambling tale of irrelevancy. […] And if we get a complaint back that is like this complaint I really am going to listen to sanctions, and consider the efforts these defendants have put into the matter up until now and in other courts in assessing the sanction award.” [U.S. District Judge Snyder, September 28, 1998]

“With all due respect, Sir, I have to sadly state that if there is such a thing on God’s green earth as a vexatious litigant you, Sir, sadly, are it.” [Judge A. H. Williams, August 20, 1999]

Pattinson eventually re-filed his suit in State Court where it, too, was dismissed, with costs awarded to the Church.

In the course of pursuing this vexatious litigation against the Church, Michael Pattinson allied himself with other anti-religious extremists chronicled on this site and joined in their acts of hatred against Scientology and its parishioners. These acts include participating in hate marches and posting hate messages on the Internet, sometimes on behalf of his former attorney, Graham Berry.

Pattinson is a staunch supporter of convicted hate criminal Keith Henson. When Henson was found guilty by a jury of his peers, Pattinson alleged that the conviction of Keith Henson was due to “corrupt local law enforcement officials,” slandering the District Attorney’s office in postings on the Internet.

Pattinson was sued by a former colleague for refusing to pay back a loan of $25,000, plus interest. On April 20, 1999, the court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff. Pattinson, rather than honoring and paying back the loan, declared bankruptcy to avoid paying a loan that was giving to him in good faith.

Pattinson’s unethical behavior continues today. He is currently being sued for $25,000 for allegedly causing a car accident and injuring the driver and passenger in the other car. The process server was unable to effect personal service on Pattinson because the home address he had given turned out to be false, while the “business address” he gave is a mail drop.