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Jury awards $290,000 in religious fraud case
01/30/2002
By Associated
Press
A jury in Manti
has awarded $290,000 to two women who said they were deceived by a
fundamentalist church whose leaders promised to produce Jesus Christ in the
flesh. The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of the Saints of the Last Days
was ordered Monday to pay $270,000 to Kaziah Hancock and more than $20,000 to
Cindy Stewart for fraud, breach of contract and intentional infliction of
emotional distress.
However, the eight-member jury threw out complaints of racketeering and unjust
enrichment against the church and its founder, Jim Harmston. Through his
secretary, Harmston refused to comment to The Associated Press. As a condition
of church membership, Hancock gave 67 acres of her farm and shares of water
rights to the church for redistribution among members. Stewart contributed money
from her retirement plan, attorney Don Redd said.
In return, Harmston promised payments on other property, membership in heaven
elite and the chance to meet Christ on Earth. Harmston founded the church in
1994, severing ties with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because
of disagreement with changes in doctrine — including the prohibition of
polygamy.
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