CV for JW Child Custody
Work Experience: Since 2001, JWCC and its associates have worked assisting child custody cases internationally. We have been involved with many cases regarding custody and various legal issues involving Jehovah’s Witnesses. Advocates with our organization have worked as National Director in religious research and child protection organizations, specializing in the sociological, historical, doctrinal teachings, and policies of Jehovah's Witnesses. They also serve on the board of directors for Silentlambs, Inc., The Healing Alliance, Rescue and Recovery International, assisting survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Familiarity with Jehovah's Witnesses: Associates with JWCC have extensive personal experience with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. They go as far back as third-generation members with experience as Ministerial Servant, Elder, Congregation Coordinator, Bethel Service, and Pioneering, have given lectures at Circuit and Regional Conventions, chaired building committees for new “Kingdom Hall” construction, Quick-Builds, (four day Kingdom Hall construction) as well as most administrative positions within the Jehovah’s Witness organization. JWCC is qualified to testify in court regarding the lifestyles and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses, with issues they have personally experienced in their various capacities.
Education: The particular areas of research and expertise regarding Jehovah's Witnesses religion is a highly specialized area of study for which no higher institution presently offers training or degrees.
Authorship: Our expert witnesses have been quoted and published articles in newspapers and magazines including Newsweek, New York Times and Christianity Today. They have authored numerous articles and assisted documentaries on the subject of Jehovah's Witnesses, historical and doctrinal perspectives.
Research: JWCC in order to accomplish accurate research into the beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses, since 1962 has accumulated a comprehensive collection of their official publications, from which we do research for the courts. Our research is based primarily on the reading of numerous books, magazines and internal documents published and written by Jehovah's Witnesses (the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Brooklyn, NY), and numerous court cases in which Jehovah's Witnesses testified as to their lifestyle and practices.
Since 1970, we have interviewed thousands Jehovah's Witnesses and former Jehovah's Witnesses who have added to our knowledge of their beliefs and practices. Without exception, Jehovah's Witnesses testifying in court as to their lifestyle have agreed with the practices as described by those Witnesses and ex-
Witnesses whom we have interviewed.
Major Endorsements:
JWCC associates have been interviewed as experts in the development of over twenty programs on Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, practices and abuse, they have made several appearances in radio and on television including CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX Networks and interviewed in an extensive exposé on the NBC Dateline, 60 minutes, BBC Panorama, CBC Fifth Estate programs including eight different countries which include the BBC, CBC, WDR, STV. The programs have shown in over fifty countries around the world.
Jeffrey R. Anderson, attorney in St. Paul, Minnesota, who has pursued over 500 sexual abuse cases against churches of all denominations in the last 20 years. Anderson stated in a newspaper interview for Wired News Washington DC, 5-25-02, referring to William H. Bowen, (JWCC associate) "He has a key understanding of the inner workings of Jehovah's Witnesses. He has been enormously instrumental in giving refuge and information to survivors looking desperately for resources they can trust."
Testified before the European Commission in Belgium on the function and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2008.
Met and provided expert testimony before the French National Assembly in September 2008 on the function and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses as their policies apply to abuse of women and children.
Personal meeting with attaché to French Prime Minister Georges Fenech to provide consultation on Jehovah’s Witnesses in France.
Served as spokesman for ADFI a human rights organization based in France on the function and practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The leading counter-cult and research organizations recognize JWCC associate writings as documentary evidence on the lifestyle of Jehovah's Witnesses. Numerous other authors have referred to our studies on the Jehovah's Witnesses, our information is linked up to one thousand websites on the internet and over five hundred news groups.
Testified before the Religious News Writers Conference in 2013 as an expert in Jehovah's Witness practices
Jerry Venable, attorney Oklahoma, “JWCC’s expert testimony was the key basis of the father winning sole custody for a seven year old girl that was two weeks from being baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness.”
Irwin Zalkin, attorney California, who has had success with litigation against the Catholic Church, Boy Scouts of America and Jehovah’s Witnesses stated, “I would like to thank you for the outstanding assistance you provided to our firm as a consultant and expert witness… In a very short time you were able to educate and guide us through the complexities of beliefs and practices that were very foreign to us. Your guidance helped us formulate the correct strategy for taking important testimony and obtaining supportive documentation of the allegations of our complaint.”
Rick Simmons, attorney California, consulted for two years that resulted in a jury trial that gave the largest judgment for abuse survivor Candace Conti; twenty-eight million dollars.
D Van Vorhees, attorney Colorado - “Your insight, expertise, and advice regarding how to approach the situation and what to watch for, were invaluable. Having the suggested language for use in the settlement terms was really helpful, too. Thank you for your help in this case and for all you do.”
H Pauls, attorney Wisconsin - "I cannot thank you enough for the professional assistance you gave me as an expert witness in my November 2019 JW trial here in in Wisconsin. Without your knowledge, background and expertise I would not have won my case. Since you began assisting me in the summer of 2019, I felt a significant weight off my shoulders as I knew that having you on our side as an expert on JW was going to increase our chances of success by ten-fold."
J Wilson, attorney Utah – “Mr. Bowen expert testimony before the judge allowed the father, my Client, to have sole custody of his three children and helped these kids to have a normal life.”
Consultation and Testimony as an Expert Witness:
Consulted on numerous legal and child custody disputes, and as an expert on the religion known as Jehovah's Witnesses and assisted depositions involving custody issues.
Consulted on cases involving tax evasion and wrongful death, one of which resulted in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which is the umbrella organization over 6 million Witnesses worldwide, paying the estate of Frances Coughlin $1.55 million dollars rather than let a jury decide the wrongful death lawsuit, in State of Connecticut Superior Court at Milford (CV-00-0072183 S).
Instrumental in attracting the attention to legal aspect of not reporting the crime of child rape in a religious setting. JWCC consulted and assisted in the development of the first civil lawsuits to be filed against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since 2001 there have been around seventy lawsuits filed in a series of civil litigation on the mishandling of child abuse against the home office of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Our testimony in 2012 brought forth the largest payment to an abuse survivor in California. In June, 2012, 28 million dollars was awarded to Candace Conti for her abuse as a Jehovah's Witness child.
Our assistance and testimony resulted in an estimated 25-30 million dollar settlement for seven California JW abuse survivors in May 2012. Letter of Reference
Testimony in custody cases resulted in 100 % custody for non JW fathers and mothers in multiple states and saved thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Used as a content expert/expert witness on the function and practices of high control groups and assisted in cases in the United States of America: California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Colorado, New Jersey, Washington, and Wisconsin
Testified before the European Commission in Belgium on the function and practices of high control religious groups in 2008.
Met and provided expert testimony before the French National Assembly in September 2008 on the function and practices of high control religious groups as to how their policies apply to abuse of women and children.
Personal meeting with attaché to French Prime Minister, Georges Fenech to provide consultation on high control religious groups in France. b.Served as spokesman for ADFI a human rights organization based in France on the function and practices of high control religious groups.
Consulted on cases involving litigation of liability and tax cases involving Jehovah’s Witnesses, being retained as a consultant by the legal firm representing the client.
Traveled to Japan in 2004 and made several presentations on the practices of high control religious groups in a two-week lecture circuit.
Served as a spokesman for SNAP (Survivors Network for those Abuse by Priests) and consulted on high control groups and their dangers.
Served on a panel in 2016 with Lori Goodstein – reporter/NYT at the RNC (Religious News Writers Conference) regarding the practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding child abuse and battery of women.
Consulted on litigation against Tony Alamo Ministries for three years.