Abominations

Hung Jury In Clergy Sex Abuse Trial

BURLINGTON -- The case of a former altar boy who claimed he was molested by the Rev. Edward Paquette in the late 1970s was declared a mistrial today by Judge Matthew Katz after the jury signaled that it was unable to come up with a verdict after 16 hours of deliberation. Katz, who sent a message to the jury this morning designed to encourage them to keep talking, dismissed the panel shortly after noon after the jury sent him a note saying “We cannot agree and we can no longer proceed.”Jerome O’Neill, an attorney for the former altar boy, said the jury’s inability to reach a decision on monetary damages was disappointing but was encouraged that the jury had told the judge it viewed the diocese as liable for the abuse his client occurred.
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Related:
Judge Declares Mistrial In Church Abuse Case
BURLINGTON -- A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday after a Chittenden Superior Court jury remained deadlocked on whether Vermont's Catholic Church was negligent in hiring and supervising a pedophile priest. A five-man, seven-woman panel had deliberated for 16 hours over three days when Judge Matthew Katz received a note at noon saying, "We do not agree and can no longer proceed. Question — how do we proceed?" The judge's answer: "I don't have a magic bullet — I'm going to declare a mistrial."

Posted by Editor at August 28, 2008 04:03 AM