The lawsuit against Judge Paul Pressler is convoluted and complicated – it is the most bizarre legal document one can read. But the poor quality of the filing doesn’t decide the truth of the accusation. It will have to play out in a court of law.
A friend made an interesting statement about this case when we were discussing it a few months ago. He said that if the accusations were true there would likely be many more such accusations come out. I don’t know how many there will be, but one more has surfaced.
An affidavit filed in New York County by a man named Toby Twining makes a clear accusation against Judge Pressler. Again, I have no idea whether it is true and make no judgment on it. But it is a second accusation. And, as an observation, this affidavit is at least cogent and coherent, free of the oddness and extraneous anti-CR rants of the original.
Baptist News has an article about the affidavit. The affidavit is available online as well.
The lawyer says there are several more accusers waiting to go public. We will see.
The original lawsuit is a garbled mess, but this is clean, clear and concise. It sounds like this guy is not axe-grinding, either. I am a lawyer who practiced as a litigator for almost 25 years before leaving the active practice to attend seminary (SBTS). One of my worst fears was an independent witness, like this, who didn’t seem to have an interest in the outcome of the case. This affidavit comes across as someone just stating facts. This is a very bad turn of events for the Judge. His lawyers will pick this apart as best they can, but I can assure you they gulped when they first read it.
I think your statement is pretty much what I felt. The first lawsuit was a study in crazy. This is not.
While I agree with that assessment, the legal situation for Pressler is of little concern for me. The charges, from two separate sources now, are horrific.
Brent: I agree with you. My point was precisely that this looks very bad for him.
I understand, Gus. There’s a place for exploring the legal dynamic and don’t fault you for lending your expertise in doing that. The charges, from my viewpoint, seem to have merit and therefore I hope his legal position is poor. Moreover I hope the truth is exposed and justice is served. I’m holding myself back here from saying the really strong things I’d like to say but I’m furious about this.
Brent: Keep in mind this is a civil suit seeking money damages, not a criminal action. Justice in such circumstances is equated with a verdict in dollars. Judge Pressler won’t go to jail, even if the plaintiff (the person who filed the lawsuit) wins. Maybe the truth will come out, but very few civil cases ever make it to trial and not all the proceedings that take place are public, so it’s hard to say at this point how much we’ll ever know or find out in this case.
So Pressler was a leader in a Presbyterian church as he was starting the CR?!?
Someone play the Paige Patterson clip…….
What Paige Patterson clip? I’m asking a sincere question. I’ve read several books about the CR, including Pressler’s, and somehow missed that he was leading in a Presbyterian church.
Can’t link the clip right now, just search
No true baptist is a Calvinist.
Now in full disclosure, I need to tell you there is a story behind the clip. So don’t take it too seriously, my first post was tongue in cheek………..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o72TC5En0n8
Honestly, I think the anti-Calvinist rant of the speaker he followed could cause anyone to lose sanity and perspective. So, let us not judge too harshly. I believe that Dr. Patterson “clarified” his remarks.
I can say this, that in my discussion with Dr. Paige Patterson during the PC, he expressed strongly his desire that we get along as Baptists – Calvinists and non-Calvinists.
Dave, for sure he did clarify.
But when Josh ask about the Pressler/Presbyterian connection, I thought about that clip, and it gave me a chuckle.
Ha! Yeah, that’s funny. I sincerely did not know that Pressler was leading a Presby youth group in the early days of the CR. IS that common knowledge?
Having met Pressler and been invited to the country club as a college student, this doesn’t surprise me. He never did anything outright, but had a generally weird vibe that my naive younger self attributed to old-age.
Judge Paul Pressler became an acquaintance, then quickly a friend and then soon thereafter a dear, cherished close life-long friend. Very quickly I knew Paul Pressler’s entire family, and he knew my family. He reference me in his book A Hill Upon Which to Die.
I am 50 now. I met Judge Pressler 32 years ago when he was on the bench as a state appellate Judge, and I was a student (not even Baptist at the time) when I was a persecuted student at Baylor University in Waco coming under fire by an Administration that did not embrace the pro-life views embraced by the Baptists and the reverence for the Bible’s authority and historicity embraced by Jesus and our forefathers.
Judge Pressler is the most honest, moral, respectful, and decent man I have ever known. Next to my own father, Judge Pressler is the greatest man I have ever known. He NEVER exemplified the character or behavior of the slanderous attacks that are being made against him. Judas characters live throughout the Church today, and no doubt some may seek to malign Judge Pressler out of greed, envy, anger or even to hurt and divide the Church.
By no means perfect, as none of us are in this flesh, Judge Pressler always demonstrates the best of behavior and encouraged the best of behavior in me. I love Judge Pressler like a father, and indeed he’s the greatest Christian statesman I have ever known on a very personal and intimate level—in the best, most upright, Christ-honoring way the term can be used.
Respectfully submitted,
Martin Angell
It is odd, Martin, that I have personally received both the kind of affirmation you give and from others the exact opposite.
At this point I think we have to let the courts do their job and see where the evidence takes us.
I will say this. It is slander to assign “Judas” motives to everyone who might accuse the Judge. Some are among the most sincere and circumspect men I know.