From: rkeller@netaxs.com (Rod Keller) Subject: McPherson Case Postponed Date: 1998/12/30 Message-ID: <76d53h$sha@netaxs.com>#1/1 Organization: Philadelphia's Complete Internet Provider Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Church's day in court postponed Tuesday, December 29, 1998 Miami Herald Herald Staff A pre-trial hearing scheduled for today in the criminal case against the Church of Scientology has been postponed indefinitely -- the church says the case needs to be specially assigned because it's so unusual. Pinellas County Chief Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer now has the case. The state attorney charged the church last month with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and the unauthorized practice of medicine in the 1995 death of parishioner Lisa McPherson. The church has pleaded not guilty. "Oftentimes, if it's a case that may require significant judicial time and resources, it will be specially docketed," Scientology attorney Laura Vaughan said. "There are issues here that don't come up every day in your average criminal case. You have issues of religious freedom, First Amendment issues. It's an unusual case."