Founding Partner of Hennigan, Bennett and Dorman
Founding Partner of Hennigan, Bennett and Dorman and lead attorney for the Catholic Church
PROFILE
J. Michael Hennigan
Guest
FROM J. Michael Hennigan
Which Way, L.A.?
Cardinal Roger Mahony and Sex Abuse by Priests Last week, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony announced the settlement of 45 cases of child-sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests worth a total of $60 million. As many as 500 cases are still unsettled, and some of those victims aren't happy about the precedent that's been set. In Boston, many molestation cases went to trial, and personal documents from within the church were made public, revealing such ugly details that Cardinal Bernard Law was reassigned to the Vatican. In Los Angeles, the process used was private mediation rather than public trial. A retired judge will decide what records ultimately will be unsealed, but advocates say many victims will never know what really happened or how the Church allowed known molesters to be reassigned to positions where they could commit new crimes. We hear from Cardinal Mahony and others.
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