Judge rejects motion to drop charges in Philadelphia abuse case

February 28, 2012

A Pennsylvania judge has rejected a bid by a former official of the Philadelphia archdiocese to dismiss charges of child endangerment.

Lawyers for Msgr. William Lynn had argued that the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua had thwarted his bid to keep track of priests accused of sexual abuse, ordering that the memo be shredded. But prosecutors countered that Msgr. Lynn himself had kept the memo hidden.

The motion to dismiss criminal charges failed. But in the process, defense lawyers made it clear that in their efforts to gain acquittal, they would argue that the policies shielding abusive priests had been set by the top leadership of the archdiocese.

 

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Further information:

• Shredded-memo motion denied to defense in predator-priests trial (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Deceased cardinal ordered memo on sex abuse shredded, defense lawyers claim in Philadelphia case (CWN, 2/24)