Arkansasonline
Feb. 6, 2013
By Andy Davis

Ex-members aim to seize ministry buildings

Attorneys for two former members of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries have asked a judge to order the seizure and auction of six ministry buildings in Fort Smith to satisfy a $30 million judgment against the ministry’s leader.

In a court filing Monday evening, attorneys for Spencer Ondrisek and Seth Calagna asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant to order the seizure and auction of a ministry church and gym building on Windsor Drive, a warehouse on South Fourth Street, a house and a former restaurant building on 16th Street and a parking lot on 17th Street.

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Arkansasonline
February 6, 2013
By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Judge reopens mattress suit

A judge on Monday reopened a lawsuit over thousands of Tempur-Pedic mattresses that the manufacturer says were illegally diverted to a company affiliated with the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries.

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New York Post
February 6, 2013
By SARA STEWART

Scientology’s Worst Enemy

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Arkansasonline
January 12, 2013
By Andy Davis

4 in Alamo ministry suit seek to add 5 defendants

Four members of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries accused of failing to protect girls in the church from physical and sexual abuse have asked for five people to be added as defendants in a lawsuit over the claims.

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Houston Chronicle
December 21, 2012
By ANDY DAVIS, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Mattress company still pursuing Alamo warehouse

A New Jersey company has asked a judge to reopen a lawsuit over claims that thousands of Tempur-Pedic mattresses meant for Hurricane Katrina victims and other people in need were illegally diverted to a company affiliated with the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries.

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San Francisco Chronicle
November 13, 2012
The Associated Press

Court rejects appeal of convicted evangelist

An appeal by convicted evangelist Tony Alamo in a lawsuit that found Alamo ordered the beatings of two young boys in his ministry in Arkansas has been rejected.

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NWAonline
October 26, 2012
By Andy Davis

Judge lets 7 drop claims tied to Alamo ministries

A judge on Wednesday granted a request by seven former members of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries to drop their legal claims against six people and four organizations affiliated with the ministry.

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KAIT8.com
October 13, 2012
The Associated Press

Attorneys for convicted evangelist Tony Alamo again appeal

Attorneys for convicted evangelist Tony Alamo are again asking the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear an appeal of a lawsuit alleging he ordered the beatings of 2 young boys in his ministry.

Saturday’s filing reiterates the claim that a three-judge panel of the court was wrong to deny Alamo’s appeal of faulty jury instructions. The court on Oct. 1 rejected Alamo’s request for a hearing before the full court.

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Texarkana Gazette
October 2, 2012
By: Lynn LaRowe

Circuit court rejects Alamo’s request to revisit civil case

A federal appeals court rejected Tony Alamo’s request to take a second look at a civil case that ended with a multi-million dollar judgment for two former ministry members.

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Texarkana Gazette
September 13, 2012
By: Lynn LaRowe

Alamo lawyers ask for review of opinion.
Defense wants all 8th Circuit judges to take another look at decision of panel of three

Lawyers for imprisoned evangelist Tony Alamo are asking all judges on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals take another look at a recently released opinion in a civil lawsuit filed by two former male members that affirmed a jury’s finding Alamo is guilty of battery, conspiracy and outrage.

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Texarkana Gazette
August 29, 2012
By: Lynn LaRowe

Court lowers the punitive damages in Alamo case.
Judgment drops from $66 million to $30 million

A $66 million judgment awarded to two men raised in Tony Alamo’s controversial ministry has been reduced by an appellate court to $30 million.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a jury’s finding that Alamo is guilty of battery, outrage and conspiracy.

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ABC News 4 (Charleston)
September 12, 2012
By The Associated Press

Tony Alamo asks for new hearing on lawsuit appeal

Attorneys for convicted evangelist Tony Alamo are asking the full U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to consider Alamo’s appeal of a lawsuit that found he ordered two children in his religious compound be beaten.

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ABC News
August 28, 2012
By JEANNIE NUSS Associated Press

Court Reduces Punitive Damages in Tony Alamo Case

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered punitive damages against an evangelist who ordered two boys to be beaten to be reduced from $60 million to $24 million.

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Arkansas Democrat Gazette
June 15, 2012
By Andy Davis

Appeals judges question award against Alamo

Judges with a federal appeals court had sharp questions Thursday about the size of a $66 million verdict awarded to two men who said they were beaten and forced to fast while they were children and members of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries.

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Texarkana Gazette
June 12, 2012
By: Lynn LaRowe

Alamo seeks to vacate his 175-year sentence

Imprisoned evangelist Tony Alamo claims the lawyers who represented him at trial and on
appeal were ineffective in a motion filed Monday to vacate his 175-year sentence for sex crimes.
A l a m o , whose given name is Bernie LaZar Hoffman, was convicted in July 2009 of all 10 counts listed in a federal indictment accusing him of bringing five women he wed as children across state lines for sex. Later that year, U.S. District Judge Harry Barnes sentenced Alamo to the maximum term, 175 years.
Alamo was denied a request by Barnes for a new trial. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to even consider the case. Monday, Clayton, Mo., attorney John Rogers filed a 33-page motion for post-conviction relief, alleging Alamo’s trial lawyers made serious errors and his appellate attorney inadequately handled his case.
“We believe there are quite a few areas that are remarkable in this case and we are asking the district court to consider the arguments we’ve made,” Rogers said.
Alamo claims his trial lawyers, Don Ervin of Houston, Phillip Kuhn of Florida and Jeff Harrelson of Texarkana, should have asked the court for a longer continuance of the trial date when Alamo’s second defense attorney, Daniel Davis of California, was fired about a month before trial.
Alamo’s first attorney in the criminal case, John Wesley Hall of Little Rock, was fired when Davis was brought into the case. Hall was later hired by Alamo to conduct his appeal, which ultimately failed. Hall is now representing Alamo in civil suits filed by former ministry members. The motion Rogers filed on Alamo’s behalf Monday accuses Hall of ineffectively handling Alamo’s appeals in the criminal case.
Rogers’ motion alleges the government withheld evidence that might have been favorable to Alamo, such as reports prepared by the FBI and Arkansas State Police. The motion filed Monday in Alamo’s criminal case alleges documents the government did not produce might have surfaced in civil suits filed after Alamo’s conviction. Rogers argues the court cannot be certain Alamo received a fair trial if evidence was withheld, even if it turns out the law enforcement reports wouldn’t have made a difference in the trial’s outcome had they been provided to the defense.
Because the documents at issue are the subject of a protective order in a civil suit, Rogers has not inspected them to determine if they were withheld at trial. Rogers’ motion indicates he is seeking a court order to permit inspection.
Rogers complains the government intentionally avoided discussing the possibility of restitution in the criminal case or a civil suit for damages with the victims before Alamo’s criminal trial so that it wouldn’t have to produce evidence of such discussions to Alamo’s defense team.
Such evidence might have allowed the defense to argue the victims had a financial interest in Alamo’s conviction and motive to lie.
Alamo’s motion claims he is entitled to a new trial because he didn’t testify on his own behalf.
“In private discussions with his attorneys, following substantial back and forth with counsel, (Alamo) agreed not to testify on the condition that counsel would raise several issues on his behalf,” the motion states. “Here, (Alamo’s) waiver of his right to testify was based on inducements by his counsel that they would submit evidence and/or argument that was never submitted or argued to the jury.”
The motion has been referred to U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant in the Texarkana division of the Western District of Arkansas.
Alamo, 77, is currently serving his time at a federal lockup in Marion, Ill.