Judge predicts appeal in Masterson victim lawsuit will hold up the case a year or more

[Attorney Brad Edwards and Judge Kalra]

We just got this report from the court from Meghann Cuniff…

Judge Upinder Kalra officially stayed the Bixler lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and Danny Masterson this morning, as Scientology appeals his ruling that denied the church’s motions to strike.

Kalra expects it will take a year to 18 months for the appellate court to decide the issue, so he scheduled a status conference for May 29, 2025 at 9 a.m.

The judge also issued an "order to show cause" as to why he shouldn't sanction Jane Doe 1 and her attorneys Brad Edwards and Brittney Henderson up to $500 for failing to show up to today’s hearing.

Chrissie Bixler's lawyer John Kucera of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP asked Judge Kalra to hold off on the order for one week, but the judge quickly replied he was issuing it. He scheduled a hearing on the order to show cause for June 26 at 8:30 a.m.

I asked Kucera after the hearing if he's going to take over Jane Doe 1's representation, and he replied, "We're working on it." He called the judge's order to show cause "a formality" and said he'd be "shocked" if anything came of it.

Scientology's lawyers were in the courtroom, including Robert Mangels and the Winston Strawn partners.

— Meghann Cuniff

Thank you, Meghann! So, Scientology appeals Judge Kalra’s ruling that wiped out their attempt to gut the lawsuit, and now it will take a year or more for anything else to happen in the lawsuit.

And that includes what the Masterson victims have been trying to do since December 27, and that’s get a new amended complaint approved that will add another plaintiff (actress Tricia Vessey), and also add more allegations including sexual battery against Masterson and racketeering against the Church of Scientology.

All of that is on hold, and Jane Doe 1’s attorneys face sanctions for not showing up. (As we said this morning, court documents suggested that she was changing attorneys.) So a bit of a mess there, and we hope she can get that all straightened out before that June 26 hearing.

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