Ruling ends 12 years of groundless litigation against religious organization
WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On June 15, 2023, the Honorable Judge Alfred Irving of the District of Columbia Superior Court (DCSC) issued an order dismissing all remaining claims against UCI in the case of The Family Federation for World Peace & Unification (FFWPU) International, et al. v. Hyun Jin Moon, et al.
The order follows an August 2022 ruling by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (DCCA) that found a lack of legal grounds for control of UCI by the plaintiffs, which include FFWPUI, the Unification Church of Japan and the Universal Peace Federation.
“Judge Irving’s order is a welcome end to 12 years of destructive and financially wasteful litigation,” said UCI General Counsel Nicholas Chiaia. “It finally and firmly establishes the baseless and unconstitutional nature of these claims, which represented a cynical attempt to gain control over a religious organization against the wishes of its founder and the beliefs of its adherents.”
The previous DCCA ruling sent the case back to DCSC to decide the case consistent with its opinion, which was so definitive that plaintiff’s counsel at the time, Miller and Chevalier, concluded the only way to continue litigating the matter was to bring its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet, shortly after, Womble Bond Dickinson replaced Miller and Chevalier as FFWPU’s legal counsel and has been persistent in advancing meritless claims of a right to control UCI in the DCSC. That effort prompted the most recent order, which included the Judge’s observation that UCI’s request for court sanctions against FFWPU for its continued pursuit of its claims – though not granted – was “well taken.”
“Since 2008, various FFWPU leaders have engaged in baseless attacks against Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon and various Unification Movement-affiliated organizations through litigation and other means, forcing UCI to incur tens of millions of dollars in legal fees,” said Chiaia. “We are pleased this matter is finally resolved and that we may today refocus our efforts on advancing UCI’s spiritual, humanitarian and philanthropic mission around the world.”
As a D.C. nonprofit corporation, UCI is one of many legally independent organizations inspired by the late Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, the founding charismatic, messianic leader of the worldwide Unification Movement. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon succeeds Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and has been advancing the Movement’s intergenerational and providential mission to promote worldwide unity and nurture God-centered families across all religions, races, ideologies, and nationalities.
For more information about Dr. Moon and his affiliated organizations, please visit: https://www.hyunjinmoon.com/.
Contacts
Don Meyer
(202) 834-6859
[email protected]