Judge Orders Archiocese To Release Priest Sex Abuse Documents

Jason jsipe on November 28, 2008

BY PETE SPRINGER – OPB News
November 26, 2008

U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan Wednesday ordered the Archdiocese of Portland to release files of pedophile priests that the Archdiocese has been withholding. Pete Springer reports.

Over a year ago, the Archdiocese of Portland agreed to release files on pedophile priests as part of a $70 million bankruptcy settlement.

They did release some documents, but refused to release others, claiming they contained personal information about priests not involved in the lawsuit.

But after months of arbitration and reviewing the documents, Judge Hogan rejected that argument.

His ruling is binding and cannot be appealed.

An attorney who represented the priest sex abuse victims in the bankruptcy case was not available for comment but says in a media release that he plans to use a website to post the church documents so that “the public can understand the history of the problem”.

Attorneys for the victims are planning to discuss the ruling publicly on Friday.

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