From http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/4995548.htm

Former Scientology critic wants judge hearing wrongful death suit off case
Associated Press
Posted on Tue, Jan. 21, 2003

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A former critic of the Church of Scientology wants the judge hearing a wrongful death suit against the church to disqualify herself from the case.

An attorney for multimillionaire Robert Minton filed a motion arguing Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Susan Schaeffer should be disqualified because Minton is a defendant in a countersuit against the estate of church member Lisa McPherson.

In the motion, filed late Friday, Minton attorney Anthony Battaglia also argued that Schaeffer blames Minton for the breakdown of settlement negotiations in the case and has concluded that he is a criminal because he invoked his constitutional right not to answer questions in court.

The judge has put the counterclaim on hold until the original lawsuit is settled. The suit against the church was supposed to go to trial Tuesday but was been postponed while the church appeals an order by Schaeffer denying its request to remove McPherson estate attorney Ken Dandar from the case.

Schaeffer ruled Jan. 12 that Minton lied when he testified last summer that Dandar had urged him to lie under oath about $2 million Minton purportedly gave Dandar to fund the wrongful death lawsuit.

Schaeffer said her ruling that Minton lied because he did not want to disclose a foreign bank account for tax reasons.

Minton's motion also accused Schaeffer of violating Florida law for issuing her ruling on a Sunday. The motion also said the judge's order should be voided and that Schaeffer "may be liable for substantial damages to Minton" for defamation.

McPherson's estate claims she died from severe dehydration after 18 days in the care of the church. The church claims McPherson died from a pulmonary embolism, the result of a minor traffic accident she had the day before she was brought to the church.

Information from: Tampa Tribune