Ater 30 years, Jim Jones aide seeks forgiveness

After a near silence of almost 30 years, a former top aide to cult leader Jim Jones has asked for forgiveness for his role in events that led to the deaths of more than 900 people in a mass murder-suicide.

Tim Stoen, Jones' former chief legal adviser and now a Humboldt County deputy district attorney, sought redemption in the form of a handwritten apology to the first reporter who publicly exposed bizarre behavior at the Peoples Temple's Mendocino County headquarters in the early 1970s.

"You were right about the Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. I was totally wrong," he wrote.

Stoen concluded his Feb. 11 letter by asking former San Francisco Examiner religion reporter Les Kinsolving to "forgive me."

<snip>

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050302/NEWS/503020302/1033/NEWS01

Oh my dear God,

We have relatives living in Humboldt County and this man is a "deputy DA"? I've not felt quite so sick in several days and I will be contacting relatives working in social services in this county over this.

How was this man ever allowed this prominent position?

Shock and Awe, and just plain facism all over again.

on edit:

This will not be allowed to stand. Period.

I don't know why you can't. Apparently he worked as a lawyer for Jones. And he wishes he hadn't.

Fine with me.

in Humboldt County.

There was a big article about it in the Northcoast Journal.

http://www.northcoastjournal.com/092503/cover0925.html

He's a republican now.

Just like all the rest. Pearl Harbor, JFK, and forward..........

ready to lynch him professionally before you know any facts.
Do YOU know the whole story?
This man did not have to say ANY THING, he was the legal aid to Jim Jones, there is nothing wrong with that, thats a right Jim Jones had (To have legal representation)that you have too.
I think what he did took guts.

Guts? You've got to be kidding. Where exactly were you in history, honey, hen this disaster took place? Not born yet?

Noted administration apologist and lobber of press gaggle softballs when Scotty didn't feel like going to Bulldog Guckert.

My spidey-sense is tingling.

before Jonestown. However, his then 5-year-old son was still in Jim Jones' custody, and he could not get the boy out - the kid died in Jonestown in the mass murder-suicide.

(snip)
For Stoen, who publicly disassociated himself from the cult a year before Jonestown, the Kinsolving letter is his most public admission yet of wrongdoing on behalf of the Peoples Temple."I have asked God to forgive me for my wrongdoing in being a part of Peoples Temple. He has mercifully given me a second chance," Stoen wrote.

Stoen acknowledged he will likely forever be held accountable for his leadership role in the Jones cult. Stoen's 5-year-old son, John Victor Stoen, was among those who died in the South American jungle.

"The natural consequences of my wrongdoing - especially the death of John Victor and those temple members who trusted me - cannot be erased," Stoen wrote.

Stoen wrote the letter seeking forgiveness from Kinsolving after learning that his former adversary had recently suffered a heart
attack.
(snip)


The reporter HAS forgiven Tim Stoen, BTW. Let's let it go at that.

counsel, he was Mendocino Counry Deputy Attorney? What is up with that ? Isn't that a conflict of interst? My Dad was in the AG's office in NY and he couldn't even represent family in personal matters! Also, why couldn't he get the child back? And where was the child's mother? Did she die too? And hoe is he Humboldt County Deputy attorney today? Didn't he aid a criminal? (not by representing him, but other ways?)

"I find it interesting at the time he was Jones legal counsel, he was Mendocino Counry Deputy Attorney? What is up with that ? Isn't that a conflict of interest?"

Another item to make you think, maybe. Not many thinking minds around these days. What's on tonight, what is for dinner and now can I watch my MTV?

Who really gives a IO*(, nobody. Criminal yes, what is new? Read people, read, research, learn some history.

it's because the pay is so low. Same for some state and city attorneys.

Here is an interesting clue from the article:

Kinsolving faults the national media for ignoring his early reports about the Peoples Temple and failing to scrutinize the cult before the 1978 mass suicide. Kinsolving said before Jonestown was even settled, he personally contacted "40 of the leading dailies in the U.S., through my fellow religion editors, begging them to send a report to Ukiah."

"None of them would," he recalled.

In a letter to Stoen, Kinsolving said he would share the apology with The Press Democrat - "the only U.S. medium I recall as having constantly told the entire truth about the Peoples Temple." end quote

Therein lies part of the problem. We were all shocked by the suicides. There were people saying Jim Jones was being persecuted because he was black and helping poor people. The media, it seems, knew but refused to tell the truth. In part because of bullies like Stoen. I don't expect the media to right all wrongs in society but I do expect it to tell me the truth and let me decide. Shame.

Stoen had to pay a horrible price for his misdeeds and will live with them all of his life. The letter is a nice start. It would also be nice if it started the debate about what really happened. Not to Jones and his followers but to the press. We are not going to prevent another Jones but we could stop one if the press gave us the facts instead of backing down to the likes of Stoen.

Both my parents worked for New York state , my Dad in the AG's office, and my Mom in another division. Both were attorneys and neither could "moonlight" I have a friend in the Counry Attorneys office right now in my current state and she can't " moonlight" I have another friend who was Asst County Attorney in my state and he couldn't "moonlight" either. And BTW, the salaries aren't that low.

and I can moonlight but the attorneys in the AGs office cannot.

Years ago our county and city attorneys could moonlight. I'm not sure about that now.

It varies. There is nothing in some federal or state law which prohibits it. Agencies or entities set that policy for themselves.

impropriety is obvious. Especially when you take note of the fact he had family members involved with the cult.

involved suing or putting a restraining order or something against the paper and to organize the picketing of the paper. That sounds like a rather obvious act for an member of the County Attourney's office, pretty high profile "moonlighting" ,if you ask me. And he "knew" his own family were involved , as was, apparently he. himself, as he convinced others to join ,because they "trusted " him. This is his own admission.

I refer to:

"There were people saying Jim Jones was being persecuted because he was black and helping poor people."

He ran an interracial congregation and focused his ministry on the poor, drug addicts, and the elderly. It's true, that people, including reporters overlooked the weird stuff because he seemed to have a thriving congregation that did good works for people on the margins. He also had political clout--I believe he held office in SF's housing authority. But he was white; I've even read that he was the son of a klansman, but I have no idea whether or not this is true.

Wonder if he'd be up for a faith-based grant today if he just drank plain ol' koolaid?

I will forgive you.

It hurts even to think of the pain my son will feel when my little guy goes in for surgery next week. To lose my five year old, that is horrible condemnation. I couldn't survive it.

This man lost a five year old. If you have one at that age or had one you know that is a special year of discovery...