Click here to read: “Jury Set in Clergy Sex Abuse Trial,” by John P. Martin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 5, 2012
“Opening statements are scheduled to begin March 26, and the trial is projected to last as long as four months.”
Click here to read: “Jury Set in Clergy Sex Abuse Trial,” by John P. Martin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 5, 2012
“Opening statements are scheduled to begin March 26, and the trial is projected to last as long as four months.”
So this is really happening…..
It’s all about how good ultimately triumphs evil.
look for the plea bargain to stop the trial
That would also be my guess, sw, probably after all the defenses’ pretrial motions have been ruled upon, so the defendants (& the AD, which is undoubtably making the call, at least for Msgr. Lynn) know the ground rules for the trial. At that point, the AD will weigh the risk of the publicity which will attend the procedure against whatever the prosecution’s offer to Msgr. Lynn involves, and will then decide if asking him to fall on his sword is the best solution they see available.
Believe Lynn “finds religion” and cuts a deal to spill all the sins of the AD. They / AD can not afford to have this go to trial as more will come to light. This is not a solution for the victims or the parishioners as there needs to be a full confession.
I don’t think there will be a plea deal, but I’ll admit I’m confused.
The Archdiocese is still paying Lynn’s bills, right? Then why would they let Lynn’s lawyers throw Bevilacqua under the bus by using Bevilacqua’s shredding to say, “my boss, the Cardinal, the highest ranking official in the area, made me do it”.
I think the Archdiocese and the church as a whole are livid at Lynn for focusing on that, especially since it was a legal “Hail Mary” pass. They may cut off his legal funding, and they may go for a plea deal, but it won’t be good for Lynn and the others.
The prosecutors should require that any plea deal include revealing the docs that proved that the order came from the Vatican, and you know those secret docs are there somewhere.
If Lynn were really taking one for the team, he would say that it was all done at his level.
However, every one of these Catholic priests is a coward, and they will do anything to get out of accountability and going to prison. Know why? Because Lynn would get treated in prison the way that the victims were treated in the church. They let that happen to children, but not to themselves.
Yes the AD is paying for Lynn’s legal defense. I think the reason the document about the shredding was just introduced was because it is after Bevilaqua’s death -no indictment now. Would that have been introduced if he were still alive?
A friend was in court last year when the judge (not Sarmina) talked at length to Lynn about the potential conflicts that could come about with having the AD pay for his defense.
Kathy,
Don’t you think its odd that they ADDED focus to Bevilacqua’s evil involvement?
It was along shot that that would save Lynn, but it made a lot more people see absolute proof that the Catholic church has been shredding documents and hiding pedophiles. Hey, I’m all for them being stupid, and throwing one criminal gang leader under the bus to save another one, but that was really stupid.
Thank God that God makes evil stupid enough that anyone can see it.
Cardinal Bevilacqua and Cardinal Law will be two of the international poster boys for Cardinals knowingly hiding dozens of child rapists until someone worse is discovered.
ipmulligan…why would Lynn protect the AD at this point with a lengthly prison term facing him and national and international disgrace.
Would it not be more logical for Lynn to cut a deal that implicates the AD and gets him a “Get out of Jail free card”.
Kathy’s point about the AD’s ‘conflict of interest’ with Lynn and the judge who tried to point that out to Lynn awhile back, makes sense?
Joan –
Kathy & the judge who arraigned Msgr. Lynn & was incedulous that he would accept the AD hired attorneys as his lawyers make imminent sense. I am not a mind-reader, but from my experience w/ many priests over the years, and reading between the lines of some of the news reports, my guess is that Msgr. Lynn is one of those people who worship an institution rather than Jesus. There are many, from my perspective, both on the altar & in the pews, way too many. So, if my guess is anywhere close to accurate, Msgr. Lynn will do what he is told,
consistent w/ what we have seen of his adult career thus far. But, & again, I am guessing, not having practiced criminal law, & not having practiced in PA at all, the prosecution will make an offer which will not require significant time behind bars, possibly no such time. Witness what has happened in Kansas City, Cincinnati, New Hampshire & elsewhere.
WR – You stated, “They / AD can not afford to have this go to trial as more will come to light.”
You’re right! Msgr. Lynn should be treated as royalty until he goes to trial, or TELLS ALL in return for a plea.
ROYAL TASTERS
“During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, fear of poisoning was so great that royalty required that their food and drink to be tasted in their presence before they would eat.” (Encyclopedia of Food & Culture, ©2003 Gale Cengage)
Thank you , Ipmulligan.
The question then becomes what will the prosecution get?
.
A plea deal is ok as long as it leads to more arrests and indictments. The one making a deal has to outline in detail the political connections in Phila, Harrisburg and the law firms / lawyers that assisted in the cover up. The deal maker must inform the DA how the system of abuse was able to flourish, where the money comes from that pays for the catholic conference of bishops and attorney fees and all those involved, every aspect of this must be vigorously investigated, no transactional or use immunity offered. Everyone involved must be prosecuted.
I can’t imagine a “plea” that didn’t involve a “give”. The only problem is would other crimes revealed be able to be prosecuted due to statutes or would it just be more info that would go into a report that would end up sitting on a shelf somewhere.
The prosecutors should smell blood now that the shredding incident is public. If they are any good, they have the smoking cannon they wanted.
In a plea deal, they should require:
1) the Catholic church to vigorously endorse the Statute Of Limitations extension
2) opening of all documents in all secret archives, similar to what happened in Ireland (although I’m sure Ireland still shredded the most important documents)
3) full access to the whereabouts of the 35 known pedophile priests
4) access to the whereabouts of pedophile priests from other parts of the country now retiring in Philly
I’m still amazed Philly residents aren’t concerned about the whereabouts of the 35 pedophile priests, who are now
– Jerry Sandusky’s age
– living on a full Catholic pension
– looking out their windows at your children
– educated in new techniques of seduction and intimidation from the grand jury reports
Remember, they aren’t like normal people who have had a lifetime of sex by the time they are 60 or 70 and aren’t obsessed with it anymore.
Old Catholic pedophile priests still have the hunger, like Bishop Lahey of Canada, 71 years old, and arrested last year for importing child porn into Canada. Or just across the state, just last year, pedophile priest Fr Bart Sorensen, 62, was looking at child porn in his office at work. That’s bold.
Philadelphia children might be safer in prison, where the inmates beat pedophiles who touch children.
What about the role of Judge Sarmina? Jerry clarified for me that the judge is the player on plea deals. If she doesn’t accept them, or perhaps determines their modification…I don’t think they occur?
Besides prayer, is there anything we can do to support the truth coming out?
It always comes back to the legislation – it is so pivotal to this whole issue. What good is information if nothing can be done with it?
Jackie, you are SO right!
I got really agitated about the abuse crisis back in 2001, and went searching the Internet for some coherent commentary.
I found Marci Hamilton’s sexual abuse of minors data on FindLaw. Marci had clerked for Sandra Day O Connor, was expert in constitutional law, had won a related case in the Supreme Court, and when I contacted her, was gracious.
She is a nationally recognized expert on these matters. I think Marci would say that the varied legislation throughout the US on really all matters relating to child abuse, needs to be sorted out and cleaned up.
Right now we are looking at the Philadelphia AD….and PA law. In Kansas City, it’s about Missouri law. Mandated clergy abuse reporting requirements, statutes of limitation, child endangerment laws, et al vary from state to state and are the object of attention of the bishops lobbyists in the individual state conferences.
It’s a tough slog to change such legislation, on behalf of victims. Opposition from the insurance industry, Churches, in some cases both education and unions complicate the matter, any entity that has a threatened fiscal stake.
I don’t have any easy answers, but if you haven’t checked out Marci Hamilton on FindLaw, you might want to!
Joan,
Want to get sick about Missouri law? Not only was Bishop Finn kept out of jail (for $1 million) after hiding a known pedophile for a year, but check out this case.
Fr Robert Johnston was hired by a Catholic church that KNEW he had admitted to being a pedophile. Of course, they never admitted this to the congregation. He went on to rape at least 4 children.
When the victims sued, they won, but the Catholic lawyers found a loophole in the Missouri law that says that due to separation of church and state the church should be able to hire whoever they want, even if he’s a pedophile and even if they don’t tell anyone about it.
Catholic church lawyers won. Children were raped. God lost.
Full story at http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2011/06/robert_johnston_archdiocese_st_louis.php
Patrick….that makes me nauseous.
I wonder if Child endangerment legislation that holds ‘supervisors’ of clergy would work in Missouri?
Thanks (sort of) for that totally appalling data!
Lynn’s dereliction of duty and defiance to defend the innocent victims of priest sex abuse tore the hearts out of these precious children of God. As to the other dastardly derelicts charged with Lynn, who defiled and destroyed these decent children after their “cheap thrills” left the victims spirits and souls dying at the scene of the crime.
I always wonder who gives thumbs down to a post like yours.
I figured it out. Its the people who are pointing their thumbs to their life everlasting. Both of you, please say hi to Bevilacqua.
Theresa, what a vital strong and simple fact. I too wonder who would give a thumbs down.
Australian site Eureka Street, has a contribution by Monsignor David Cappo: “Church transparency key to protecting children”. He doesn’t make mention of the damage to the spiritual souls of children abused by clergy, dying at the scene of the crime.
I did submit a comment, but to date it hasn’t been accepted and that’s ok. But it is what you have said that say’s it for me too.
I included the needs of vulnerable children who have fathers clergyman, without roots and wings deprived of their rights according to universal law.
Monsignor Cappo is fully aware of their existance.
No matter which way this goes, this one has “gaper appeal”… The repulsive spectacle of a Philadelphia monseigneur and his Goons, defending themselves against charges involving the institutionalized rape of 10yr-olds by priests..? –…It’s too high profile and heartbreaking — This one changes hearts and minds. We’re all watching — and the AD can’t change that fact.
Its a huge human interest story, and it also shows that the Catholic church isn’t God’s church. God’s church would never spend so much of its resources to hide and protect known child rapists and lose tens of millions of followers a year worldwide as they watched it happen.
the same one who thumbs down all posts.. imagine what he/she is like?
A “thumbs down” is fair here. Patrick and friscoeddie, not everyone out there is against child sexual abuse… (so be tolerant, already!)
Sure the word ‘coward’ comes to mind.
If a plea deal surfaces, I have every bit of confidence in Judge Sarmina to produce the “give” that Kathy and others speak of.
Is anyone made to feel uncomfortable with a jury deciding the outcome? Does anyone have mistrust in “the masses”? Why or why not?
First -so happy to see lmulligan back commenting. I think at this point with the combined almost three years of grand jury investigation,the horrific amount of victims involved in both reports,the number of clergy named in the reports and the eyes of the nation on Philadelphia,it would be very odd to see a plea deal for conspiracy that was just a slap on the wrist. I may be living in a dream world but I just can’t see a deal that would not involve implicating the involvement of others. Just my opinion.
Patrick, have also been observing the thumbs down > my take is that it is someone who knows and is friends with Lynn… either that, or, it is a priest friend of his. Some friendship!
Very true. In fact, it could be any of those 35 known pedophile priests on the list Bevilacqua shredded in 1994.
Most of them are
– free
– on a Catholic pension, or paid by the Catholic church
– about Jerry Sandusky’s age (or in some cases, much younger)
– looking out the window at your kids
With nothing else to do, what do you think the chances are that they are on a computer? Of course, they probably spend part of their time watching child porn, like recently arrested Bishop Lahey or Fr Bart Sorensen, but some of them probably continue the devil’s work here.
I had a laugh, today. In speaking with my brother in Miami, he told me he had read about Dolan’s blog in a New York Times news story. So he went to the blog. There, Dolan had a statement about Obama healthcare and the birth control fiasco. ALL of the posts on the blog were pro-Dolan views on the issues. Not a single post diverged. While my brother found that strange, the strangeness did not prevent him from posting his views on the issue which digress from Dolan’s. It never occurred to my brother that ONLY pro-Dolan views are published. A few minutes later, the blog administrator contacted him saying his post was in the trash. Finally, the lightbulb went on!
Ok. So I have no problem with Dolan running a blog for cyclops. While I might not like it, he has a right to it, just as I have a right to say, on a separate blog, what I think about it (and people, here, have a right to give me a thumbs down).
I’d much prefer to participate on a blog where people, for whatever reasons, post opposing views or click thumbs down. At least, here, you get the sense that things are normal, healthy, compatible with the 21st century, not constricted or contrived, not mind-controlled, not dictatorial, and respectful of human beings, their consciences, and their conclusions.
So, c’mon thumbs down person, whatever your reason, make my day!
Hadit,
I almost wanted to give your post a thumbs down for fun!!!!
Love the story about your brother.
SW,
You just couldn’t control yourself, right?
I posted on Dolan’s blog, too, at one point and was as reserved as possible.
It was when a 16 year old girl working at a Catholic church was repeatedly inappropriately massaged by a creepy 87 year old priest with black hair named Fr Duenas. The girl had more than enough proof, and the priest’s biggest argument was that she wore short skirts (implying, Catholic-style, that it was her fault).
The Catholic League trashed the girl, asking why she would go back to work if that happened. Anyone with a brain or heart would know that a Catholic girl from the Bronx probably feels bad about saying anything anit-Catholic and probably needs the money.
Dolan re-publishes it, in his own cowardly way, letting someone else fight his battles, even though he is the biggest bishop in the biggest church in the country.
I posted as soft-core as possible, asking what Jesus Would Do if a 16 year old girl came forward after being inappropriately massaged. The comment was removed (as I saw from another machine), although for a couple of weeks it said “pending moderation” on the original machine.
That’s his living room, and he can be as disingenuous as he wants.
“Pravda (Russian: Правда, ‘Truth’),” “…was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991.
On August 22, 1991, a decree by Russian President Boris Yeltsin shut down the Communist Party and seized all of its property, including Pravda.” (Wikipedia)
Thank you Cardinal Dolan for picking up where Pravda left off. It’s reassuring that we can still get the official Party line from St. Dolan, Patron Saint of the Truth. Give him an Amen!
Hopefully Dolan (or the Cath league) publishes stories like that EVERYDAY!
I don’t care how much of a “defender of the faith” a reader may be, there’s just no disguising the truth in that story. — Or as my husb. puts it, “You can’t shine ____.” No amount of blogging can tidy up the mental picture of an 87 yr-old geezer hitting on a 16yr. old.girl who’s trying to do her job. Sorry – No way – Not these days.
These patriarchs cannot seem to understand that a new day has dawned in our culture– that this generation of parents “gets” the concept of sexual predatory behavior. — and so do our kids.
When they tell stories like this, they’re only digging themselves in deeper -and ticking more Catholics off. We all get it.
Somebody’s post above mentions the AD having Lynn “fall on his sword”. At 60 yrs old, and with no career outside of his illustrious church career… Maybe jail really isn’t always so rough for high ranking clergy –??
http://no2evangelism.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/thompson-allowed-convicted-priest-to-hold-memorial-service-in-prison/
I should have been more clear. The Catholic church didn’t post the story. The story was uncovered by CBS, as you can see at http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/08/04/bronx-priest-accused-of-inappropriately-touching-16-year-old-girl/
Dolan still has enough power in New York that no other news outlet covered it, which shows that there are still Catholic sheep in the media that are trying to keep these stories out of public view. However, CBS must have given it enough attention that the Catholic League and Dolan had to do something.
They figured that if they defended the Catholic church AND intimidated this girl on Dolan’s blog (a social media outlet read by the younger generation), that would keep other victims from coming forward.
Smart marketing and PR. Evil, cowardly church.