DC Superior Court Judge Rules: Bishop Joel Peebles Vindicated, Regains Control of the Jericho Landover Campus

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

DC Superior Court Judge Stewart Nash ruled in favor of Bishop Joel R. Peebles and the original Board Of Trustees. The decision by  Judge Nash removes the six employee/church  members from having any control over the church and no access to church funds. The judge found that this group of six people illegally seized control through a well devised hostile takeover, during the prolonged illness of the founder and Apostle Betty Peebles. The ruling showed that there was an abundance of evidence that supported Bishop Joel Peebles claim that he was a member of the Board of Trustees at the time when these six people secretly seized control . The trial uncovered evidence that showed that long time board members Chairman William Meadows and Anne Wesley were in fact tricked into signing documents that were later used to illegally remove them from the Board of Trustees. The ruling also acknowledges that Dorothy Williams (one of the six conspirators and a part of the original board) personally enriched herself and was found to not be credible. Judge Nash’s order reinstates the surviving members of the original Board of trustees which consist of Bishop Joel R. Peebles, Elder William Meadows and defendant Dorothy Williams.

Order Finding of Facts and Conclusion of Law entered on docket, signed by Judge Nash and e-filed, e-served on parties of record on 7/7/15

Judgment is GRANTED in favor of the plaintiffs, to wit: the Court hereby DECLARES that Resolution 1-09 of the Jericho DC Board of Trustees, which purported to change the membership of the Board of Trustees, is invalid; and DECLARES that the current Board of Trustees for Jericho DC shall consist of the surviving members of the Board of Trustees that existed prior to the invalidated Resolution 1-09, those members being: William A. Meadows; Dorothy L. Williams, and Joel R. Peebles and DECLARES that actions taken by defendants after March 15, 2009, acting as the purported Board of Trustees of Jericho DC, under the color of resolution 1-09, including the purported approval of the merger of Jericho DC into Jericho MD, are invalid; and the Court hereby ORDERS THAT DEFENDANTS REFRAIN FROM EXERCISING OWNERSHIP OR CONTROL OVER ANY CORPORATE ASSETS OF JERICHO  MARYLAND FORMERLY BELONGING TO, OR DERIVED FROM, THE CORPORATED ASSETS OF JERICHO DC, and ORDERS that plaintiffs are reinstated as members of the church pending a review of their membership status by the validly-constituted Board of Trustees of Jericho DC.

source:  cityofpraise.com