Reverend Doctor Miller Newton has another friend besides Betty Sembler

12-13-05 Reverend Doctor Miller Newton is Straight's former national clinical director. He left Straight in the 80s amidst Florida state criminal and health investigations of Straight to set up his own Straight-like program in New Jersey. Twenty years and $11million in settlements with abused clients later he is back in Madeira Beach, Florida--now calling himself Father Cassian. Pokov is an organization that tracks abusive priests. It tracks Miller Newton. Father George has come to the aid of Father Cassian in a couple of Pokov posts that Greta from Pokov has reposted as a comment to our blog here.

11-24-05 Ambassador De Sade to head defense fund for aide to Vice President for Torture Mel Sembler, dubbed Ambassador De Sade by by John Gorenfeld and Alternet, will head up the legal defense fund for Scooter Libby, former aide for Dick Cheney who has been dubbed Vice President of Torture by former CIA director Stansfield Turner. tampa trib

The Newtons' acknowledge creditors' claims

Father Cassian's creditors have accussed him of violating Florida's Fraudulent Transfer Act and have filed a complaint against him to seize his property. The judge gave the priest 30 days to respond to the complaint. Father Cassian did not respond but asked for and was granted a 20 day extension. The Newtons finally responded to their creditors on Sept. 14. A copy of their filing is here. A pre-trial hearing has been set for November 01, 2005 at 9:00 AM before Judge Glens. The judge will also hear a motion to dismiss Christ at the Sea foundation as a party. The proceedings are public. Father Cassian is an accused child abuser.

Newton takes down his dome

Bay News 9

Reverend Doctor Miller Newton back in Bankruptcy Court

by Ray Bradbury and Mike Sherman dateline Tampa, Florida 04/29/05

[Click for video of Dr. Newton walking into federal courthouse in Tampa.] On April 29, 2005 a hearing was scheduled at 9:00 am at the Federal Courthouse in Tampa, Florida before Judge Glenn to determine if Virgil Miller Newton's (AKA Father Cassian Newton) final bankruptcy decree would be reopened. The case number is 01-9883-67, Chapter 7). Mr. Newton arrived at the courthouse at 8:30 am dressed in a "religious" outfit. As Mr. Newton approached the court house concerned citizens asked him two questions. 1. "Mr. Newton why haven't you offered an apology to your victim’s?" 2. "Mr. Newton what is the first and most important rule at Straight?" The second question referred to Straight's rule, the very first rule being "honesty."

The hearing was attended by Mr. Newton, his attorney Al (last name inaudible in court), Steven Meinger (Bankruptcy Trustee) and Herb Doncia (Bankruptcy Trustee). Judge Glenn was not in attendance, but the Clerk of the Court accepted motions and agreements between parties into the record on the judge's behalf, but made no rulings. An agreement was struck between Mr. Newton's attorney and the Bankruptcy Trustees to reopen the final bankruptcy decree. The “Foundation” will be added as a defendant in the case and be given 30 days to obtain legal representation. At the expiration of the 30-day time period to allow the “Foundation” to obtain legal counsel the clock would begin again. The bankruptcy trustees have agreed to wait another 60 days and then file an adversarial motion against the property--a move to take the property in question.

Mr. Newton came into the courtroom prior to the hearing, then left and only his attorney stood on his behalf before the court.

Related story: motion to reopen

[Bradbury and Sherman wrote this report and took the video. They are Straight survivors and are not associated with theStraights.com]

DFAF subsidiary member Father Cassian Newton AKA Reverend Doctor Virgil Miller Newton to be back in court Friday

This time it's in federal court on Friday April 29, 0900 before Judge Glen to hear a motion to reopen his bankruptcy case link1 link2

St. Pete Times: Bankruptcy court may be re-looking at Newton

In 1982 Straight - Sarasota closed while being investigated for criminal child abuse by the states attorney. The Sarasota states attorney announced that Straight counselors had admitted they had been trained to abuse kids at Straight - St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and that Miller Newton had overseen their training. This forced Pinellas County prosecutor James T. Russell to launch yet another investigation of Straight. But he is the man who personally brought the Straight concept to Pinellas County under the name The Seed. One of his assistant state attorneys was on the board of directors for Straight! Not surprisingly, Russell found nothing wrong at Straight. In fact for 17 years he never found anything wrong at Straight. But Miller Newton left in 1983 under a barrage of civil suits. He setup his own Straight-like chain outside New York City in New Jersey called KIDS. Curiously Straight operated in major metropolitan centers around the country, but there was never a Straight - New York City area leading Straight trackers to suspect that KIDS may have been Straight - greater NYC area.

All KIDS' expansion programs closed under allegations of child abuse. When KIDS of Southern California was closed by the state for criminal child abuse, Mel and Betty stepped in, took over Newton's clients and setup Straight of Southern California. But California closed Straight within a year for criminal child abuse. Neither Mel or Betty Sembler nor Miller Newton went to prison for their crimes. In 1989 CBS's West 57th Street did an expose on Newton's Kids of Bergen County, New Jersey. A judge studied KIDS of Bergen County and said it should not get a license. County prosecutors raided the place and took out several young clients. So Newton changed the name to KIDS of North Jersey and moved to Hudson County.

After he was sued out of existence over his New Jersey program, Miller Newton moved back to Madeira Beach, Florida, bought a second home across the street from his home and boat, changed his name to Father Cassian, created a religious foundation, filed bankruptcy and donated his second property to his foundation. Now Newton's creditors know about the home across the street valued at $300,000 and they want it. Will he ever be put in prison for his frauds; for his crimes against children. To the people of Madeira Beach. Lee Drury Deceasar was one who tried to speak for you. What are you citizens going to do now? Read now the latest by The St Pete Times.