Here's a note I sent to Court TV, via their web site's contact link, www.courttv.com/contact :
I hope Court TV will consider covering the wrongful death civil suit against the Church of Scientology, which is scheduled for trial beginning Tuesday, January 21, in Pinellas County, Florida. The notoriously contoversial church,whose celebrity adherents include Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Jenna Elfman, and others, allegedly held one of its members, Lisa McPherson, against her will for 17 days after she suffered a mental breakdown. She was denied proper medical attention because, according to the plaintiff, Ms. McPherson's estate, the Scientologists who were guarding her were following a bizarre regimen called "the Introspection Rundown." This procedure, written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1973, requires that church members who suffer a breakdown are to be kept in isolation and complete silence. Scientology adamantly opposes all forms of psychiatric care, and blames "psychs," as they derisively term them, for virtually all social problems. During her 17 days in captivity, Ms. McPherson is said to have become increasingly psychotic, lost some 40 pounds, and suffered severe dehydration and malnutrition. When her handlers finally decided to seek medical attention, they bypassed several hospitals which were only minutes away and took Ms. McPherson to a hospital some 25 miles away because there was a Scientologist physician there. Ms. McPherson was dead on arrival, even though she had been physically healthy 17 days earlier. Coverage of this trial by Court TV would make for riveting television, as the Church of Scientology has a long and notorious history for mistreating its members, harassing its critics, and wielding the legal system like a weapon against all of its perceived enemies. In addition, the church's beliefs and practices are incredibly bizarre. For more information, see www.xenu.net ("Operation Clambake," a web site dedicated to criticizing Scientology), www.lisamcpherson.com, and www.lisamcpherson.org. The Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology is another source of information on Scientology.
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Maybe a bunch of notes like this might get some attention from Court TV. If you go to the contact link, select the drop down menu for "Court Tv Online," and choose "Story Ideas."
Peace, Toby