Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. v. Treshman (In Re Treshman)

258 B.R. 613, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 130, 2001 WL 125296
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland
DecidedJanuary 25, 2001
Docket19-12660
StatusPublished

This text of 258 B.R. 613 (Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. v. Treshman (In Re Treshman)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. v. Treshman (In Re Treshman), 258 B.R. 613, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 130, 2001 WL 125296 (Md. 2001).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, DENYING DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT AS TO THE SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION, NAMELY NONDISCHARGEABILITY OF DEBT, AND DECLARING JUDGMENTS ENTERED BY THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON AGAINST THE DEBTOR, DONALD J. TRESHMAN, JR., TO BE NONDIS-CHARGEABLE PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6).

JAMES F. SCHNEIDER, Bankruptcy Judge.

The plaintiffs are individual physicians and their corporate employers engaged in performing legal abortions. The corporate plaintiffs are providers of women’s health services. The debtor, a regional leader of the American Coalition of Life Activists (“ACLA”), a radical organization opposed to abortion, targeted the individual plaintiffs for possible injury and death by posting their names and addresses on the Internet and by distributing wanted posters bearing their likenesses. The plaintiffs sued the debtor and other members of the ACLA in the Federal district court in Oregon and obtained substantial judgments against them for damages based upon the infliction of willful injury. The debtor filed bankruptcy in this Court, and the plaintiffs filed the instant complaint to determine the Oregon judgments to be nondischargeable based upon the doctrine of collateral estoppel. Before the Court are the motions for summary judgment [P. 9] filed by the plaintiffs, Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc., Portland Feminist Women’s Health Center, Robert Crist, M.D., Warren M. Hern. M.D., Elizabeth P, Newhall, M.D. and James Newhall, M.D., and by the debtor-defendant, Donald J. Treshman, as to the second cause of action stated in the instant complaint, namely the nondischargeability of debts. For the reasons set forth, the plaintiffs’ motion will be granted and the defendant’s motion will be denied.

FINDINGS OF FACT

On November 2, 1999, the debtors, Donald J. Treshman, Jr., and Eugenia W. Treshman, filed the instant voluntary joint Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in this Court. On Schedule E, they listed the following unsecured debts owed to the following claimants:

Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. Court Judgment February, 1999 $2,405,834.86
Portland Feminist Women’s Health Center Court Judgment February, 1999 $2,050,243.30
Robert Crist, M.D. Court Judgment February, 1999 $1,039,656.00
Warren M. Hern, M.D. Court Judgment February, 1999 $1,014,429.00
Elizabeth P. Newhall, M.D. Court Judgment February, 1999 $1,015,797.98
James Newhall, M.D. Court Judgment February, 1999 $1,000,375.00

*615 On February 2, 1999, after a thirteen-day jury trial and four days of jury deliberations in the case of Planned Parenthood of the Columbia/Willamette, Inc. v. American Coalition of Life Activists, No. CIV. 95-1671-JO, 1999 WL 65450, conducted in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, 1 a unanimous jury found that the debtor issued true threats against the plaintiffs in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (“FACE”), 18 U.S.C. § 248 (2000). 2 . *616 On February 22, 1999, the court entered judgment on the jury’s verdict, which found, inter alia, that the debtor was liable to the plaintiffs for punitive and compensatory damages totaling $8,526,336.14, plus accrued interest and costs.

After confirming the decision of the jury by the entry of money judgments against the defendants, including those against Mr. Treshman, the District Court [Jones, D.J.] issued a permanent injunction against all the defendants, including Mr. Treshman, from continuing to commit illegal and injurious acts against the plaintiffs, on February 25, 1999. 3 On March 16, 1999, the court issued an amended order and permanent injunction that contained additional findings of facts and conclusions of law. 4 In connection with the decision, *619 the court made the following enumerated findings of fact (Nos.381-401) regarding the activities of Mr. Treshman:

381. Defendant Treshman is a regional director of ACLA. (ACLA Answer P 31a; Tr. 1253,1496)
382. In May 1993, when defendant Treshman learned that Dr. Robert Crist planned to practice medicine regularly at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kansas City, Missouri, Treshman stated “we have been assured that he [Dr. Crist] will be monitored and that appropriate action will be taken.” (ACLA Answer P 59; Tr. 1260)
383. Defendant Treshman organized and sponsored an event in Oklahoma City in June 1993 at which Michael Bray and Andrew Burnett spoke in favor of the use of force. (Ex. 320; Tr. 894)
384. Defendant Treshman knew that before Dr. Gunn’s murder in 1993, a wanted poster of Dr. Gunn had been circulated in Pensacola, Florida where Dr. Gunn lived and worked. (Tr. 1497)
385. On the morning of Dr. Gunn’s murder, defendant Treshman issued a press release endorsing the murder and calling for donations for Michael Griffin’s defense. (Ex. 40)
386. Defendant Treshman attended the meeting in Chicago in April 1994 out of which ACLA was formed. (Tr. 1472)
387. Defendant Treshman assisted in the formation of ACLA. (Tr. 834)
388. Defendant Treshman provided the name of Dr. Douglas Karpen for the Deadly Dozen poster. (Tr. 1493)
389. Defendant Treshman attended the ACLA event in Washington, D.C. in January 1995 at which the Deadly Dozen poster was released. (ACLA Answer P 40b; Tr. 1254,1493)
390. Treshman’s Newsline announced in January 1995 that immediately after release of the Deadly Dozen poster, the physicians on the poster were offered U.S. Marshal protection. (Ex. 71)
391. Defendant Treshman was a featured speaker at ACLA events. (Tr. 1300)
392. Defendant Treshman had multiple telephone discussions with other defendants during the time surrounding ACLA’s August 1995 event, at which the Dr. Crist poster was unveiled. (Ex. 94)
393. Defendant Treshman received a letter from David Crane regarding the St. Louis event in August 1995 and the Poster of Dr. Robert Crist. (Ex. 76)
394. Defendant Treshman attended the ACLA planning meeting in November 1995. (Tr. 2645)
395.

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258 B.R. 613, 2001 Bankr. LEXIS 130, 2001 WL 125296, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/planned-parenthood-of-the-columbiawillamette-inc-v-treshman-in-re-mdb-2001.