Woman’s release ordered

Press, 20 November 1981, Page 1

Woman’s release ordered

NZPA staff correspondent Washington A San Francisco Superior Court Judge, Judge Ira Brown, yesterday issued a historic writ of habeas corpus requiring the Unification Church — the “Moonies” — to produce Mary-Lee Hall, aged 22, of Taranaki, in court on November 25. Judge Brown said to the Church’s lawyer, Mr Frank McCabe, “If my writ is not obeyed I am going to jail them. I cannot jail a Church but I can jail its leaders.” The Church will appeal against the decision, it was learned yesterday.

Mary-Lee Hall is the centre of a tug-of-war between her family and the Church. The family estimate there may be as many as 100 other young New Zealanders tied to the Church in various parts of the United States. Mary-Lee Hall’s mother, Mrs Lena Hall, and her sister, Anna-Lyn Hall, aged 20, arrived in San Francisco a month ago in a bid to see Mary-Lee and persuade her to return to New Zealand. All efforts to arrange a meeting have failed so far, but Arina-Lyn told the N.Z.P.A. yesterday that she and her mother were "over the moon” about the decision,

and were drinking champagne to celebrate. The family’s lawyer, Mr Jim Mahon, told the N.Z.P.A. that the appearance on November 25 — presuming the appeal fails — would be to determine the nature of Mary-Lee Hall’s detention by the Unification Church and whether it was illegal. The case sets a precedent in California for an adult with the Unification Church. Mr Mahon said a similar writ was issued about a year ago in respect of a Dutch girl, aged 19, but it was argued then that she was a minor in Dutch law. Anna-Lyn Hall, bubbling

with gratitude over messages of support and offers of assistance for the family from others in a similar situation in. the United States and New Zealand, said last evening that she hoped it would encourage other families to seek similar writs. The writ is directed against both the Church and its director in the United States, Dr Mose Durst, and the acting director of the “Moonies” in northern • California, Mr Matthew Morrison. The Unification Church’s legal counsellor, Mr David Hager, told N.Z.P.A. from New, York that the Church’s

lawyer in San Francisco would definitely appeal against yesterday’s decision on the ground that Mary-Lee Hall was not under the control of the Church or re strained by it. Mary-Lee Hall had implored her mother to meet her either at her home or at a Catholic church, he said, but her mother was only willing to arrange a meeting in police custody. Mary-Lee Hall herself earlier told N.Z.P.A. that she wanted to stay in the United States to continue her work with the Church and to return to New Zealand “to sort this out” at a time of choosing.