SAN FRANCISCO -- A former Scientologist has been ordered to pay $500,000 for speaking out against his old church in violation of an 18-year-old legal settlement.

A Marin County judge issued the award to the Church of Scientology after ruling that Gerry Armstrong, who belonged to the church from 1969 to 1981, engaged in breach of contract by criticizing the church in 131 separate interviews, Internet postings and public protests.

In 1986, Armstrong agreed to drop his own lawsuit claiming threats and harassment from Scientology officials in exchange for $800,000. As part of the settlement, he pledged to maintain strict silence about the years he says he spent as a church intelligence and communications officer and personal archivist for Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Acting on a 2002 lawsuit brought by the church, Marin County Superior Court Judge Lynn Duryee said last Friday that Armstrong did not prove his argument that the 1986 settlement agreement violated his First Amendment rights to free speech.

"There is no question the 131 acts did happen," Duryee said. "There is no ambiguity in the agreement, and the defendant did take the money."

Armstrong's attorney, cult expert Ford Greene, said Tuesday that he considers the judge's ruling a victory because the church originally sought more than $10 million in damages, or $50,000 for each of 201 alleged instances in which Armstrong had spoken about the church.

Instead, Duryee reduced the amount to $500,000, which together with an earlier $300,000 judgment the church won against Armstrong, equals the amount the church paid him. Greene said his client, who claims to have moved to Canada to avoid alleged church persecution, does not plan to pay the money despite three previous contempt of court citations and "has every intention of telling the truth about Scientology all over the world" through a Web site he maintains.

Scientology attorney Andrew Wilson scoffed at the claim that the judge's ruling was good news for Armstrong, and said the church is prepared to seek additional damages if he keeps speaking out.

"Armstrong doesn't really hurt the church in the sense that people say, `This church is bad," Wilson said. "It's simply that you have someone who took your money and flouts the terms of the agreement. It's just about that basic."

On the Net:

www.scientology.org

www.gerryarmstrong.org