Deepak Chopra loses lawsuit alleges court conspiracy

News Summary/February 20, 2007
By Rick Ross

In January 2000 a San Diego Superior Court jury unanimously found against Deepak Chopra regarding blackmail claims made within a lawsuit filed by the New Age guru. Chopra claimed that a former employee wanted $50,000 to keep quite about allegations that he had sex with a prostitute.

The jury voted by a 12-0 in favor of Joyce Weaver, the defendant.

Weaver was employed as a seminar planner by the Sharp Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which is associated with Chopra's Sharp HealthCare. .

Chopra told the press that the jurors "didn't get a full picture of his case" because Superior Court Judge Thomas Murphy made "biased" rulings against him. The guru who is also a medical doctor additionally claimed there was "a conspiracy against him by numerous San Diego judges" and lawyers regarding his lawsuits.

Chopra said he had spent more than $1 million in legal fees.

"Maybe it is my karma to dismantle the corruption in the San Diego judicial system," he said.

Weaver's attorney Peter Friesen called Chopra's conspiracy and corruption claims "hysteria" and "delirium."

Weaver filed a sexual harassment case against Chopra, but Judge Murphy removed himself from hearing that case.

"I made a gratuitous, unnecessary comment in the passion of the moment," Murphy told attorneys. "It's not something I'm proud of." The pending case was later reassigned to another judge.

Attorney Michael Flynn represented Deepak Chopra and agreed with his client's assessment that the court was biased.

Terry Price, another one of Weaver's attorneys, said Murphy's comments were only meant as harmless humor.

In June of 1995 Judy Bangert a former prostitute called the Chopra center and left a voicemail message that she had had sex with Chopra. Weaver recorded the message and kept it.

Chopra did not sue Weaver until after she filed a claim against him for sexual harassment. Before that Chopra reportedly didn't tell his business associates that he was being "blackmailed."

Note: This news summary was based upon an article titled "Chopra loses case alleging blackmail" by Anne Krueger published by the San Diego Union-Tribune January 11, 2007.