October 06, 2009
Catholic Church Loses Fight Over Sealed Papers
WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the release of thousands of pages of sealed documents concerning sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic diocese of Bridgeport, Conn. The court's decision Monday effectively lifts a stay that has delayed the release of the documents since 2006, when four newspapers persuaded a Connecticut court to unseal them. The materials were filed in 23 lawsuits against the Catholic diocese by parishioners during the 1990s, alleging that the church failed to supervise its priests and reassigned those suspected of abusing children. The cases were settled in 2001, as the Catholic abuse scandal grew in national prominence.Click Here For The Full Story......
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Supreme Court: Release Records on Bridgeport Priest Abuse
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to block the release of thousands of documents detailing claims of sexual abuse against priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport. The justices turned down a request by the diocese to keep secret the records, some dating as far back as the 1960s. The documents, which chronicle years of lawsuits against the diocese by people sexually abused by its priests, have been under seal since the diocese settled the cases in 2001. Courts in Connecticut ruled previously that the papers should be public. "We are disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to extend the stay," the diocese said in a statement posted on its website. "The content of the sealed documents soon to be released has already been extensively reported on."
Timeline: Priest Sex Abuse Case In The Courts
The Hartford Courant
2001
March 12: Plaintiffs in 23 lawsuits against the Bridgeport diocese -- alleging sexual abuse by priests -- withdraw their lawsuits, in exchange for settlements totaling about $12 million.
2002
March 26: The New York Times files an ``emergency motion'' to intervene in three of the withdrawn cases, seeking access to pretrial and discovery documents filed under seal. The Courant, Boston Globe and Washington Post follow suit.
History of Bridgeport diocese sex-abuse litigation
BRIDGEPORT, CT -- Following is a chronology of sex-abuse complaints against priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport: Jan. 4, 1993: Sharon See and Brian Freibott file suit in Bridgeport Superior Court against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, claiming they were sexually abused by the Rev. Raymond Pcolka when they were children at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Stratford. Feb. 16, 1993: Eleven more people claiming abuse by Pcolka file suit against the Bridgeport diocese.