Another court decision...
Today's Los Angeles Times has an article, "Judge allows release of clergy personnel files" (sorry, I do not have the link).
Peter D. Lichtman, a superior court judge for L.A. County, decreed on Monday that, says the Times, "confidential personnel files on Roman Catholic clergy accused of molesting children can be made public even if the clerics were never charged with a crime and legal claims against them were not proven."
The case involves 10 Franciscan friars, most of whom were at the since-closed -- and recently sold off to secular groups -- St. Anthony Seminary in Santa Barbara. Last year, the claims of 25 accusers were settled for $28 million; but the accusers want the friars' files made public.
Lawyers for the friars say that once that case was resolved, Lichtman had no authority to order the files opened. One of the lawyers also says Lichtman has misinterpreted state law. Lichtman says he is acting to protect children.
No one seems to ever mention that, in the scandals in this Archdiocese and nationwide, if vocations directors, seminary staff and other members of the hierarchy and clergy had kept candidates with tendencies to perversion out of the seminaries, let alone the priesthood, they could have PREVENTED so many crimes, saved so many young people from victimization and avoided so many of the scandals and subsequent court cases and legal consequences.
Peter D. Lichtman, a superior court judge for L.A. County, decreed on Monday that, says the Times, "confidential personnel files on Roman Catholic clergy accused of molesting children can be made public even if the clerics were never charged with a crime and legal claims against them were not proven."
The case involves 10 Franciscan friars, most of whom were at the since-closed -- and recently sold off to secular groups -- St. Anthony Seminary in Santa Barbara. Last year, the claims of 25 accusers were settled for $28 million; but the accusers want the friars' files made public.
Lawyers for the friars say that once that case was resolved, Lichtman had no authority to order the files opened. One of the lawyers also says Lichtman has misinterpreted state law. Lichtman says he is acting to protect children.
No one seems to ever mention that, in the scandals in this Archdiocese and nationwide, if vocations directors, seminary staff and other members of the hierarchy and clergy had kept candidates with tendencies to perversion out of the seminaries, let alone the priesthood, they could have PREVENTED so many crimes, saved so many young people from victimization and avoided so many of the scandals and subsequent court cases and legal consequences.
posted by Quintero at 12:50 PM
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