By now, you've all seen the great news: Will Lynch has been acquitted of almost every charge against him. Lynch was charged by Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen for felony assault and felony elder abuse for punching the Jesuit priest who violently sexually abused him as a very young boy.
According to the Mercury News, the jury found Lynch "Not Guilty" of felony assault, and of felony and misdemeanor elder abuse. The jury was deadlocked 8-4 in favor of conviction on misdemeanor assault.
It really impacts me profoundly to know that the jury has been this wise, in correcting the additional injustice committed by DA Rosen.
And SHAME, SHAME, SHAME is upon Judge David Cena for deceptively answering the jury's DIRECT question about jury Nullification when he told them that they had to "obey his instructions to "follow the law." "
And SHAME, SHAME, SHAME is upon Judge David Cena for deceptively answering the jury's DIRECT question about jury Nullification when he told them that they had to "obey his instructions to "follow the law." "
I hope that the right people take this as a goad to correct the law. Statutes of limitations for reporting child sexual abuse, if made consistent with what has LONG been well known about how old people are before they begin to face the reality of the impact, should be increased until victim is well into adulthood (like 60ish), or be removed completely. Further, the time served for these crimes needs to be drastically increased to keep serial offenders from ever seeing the light of day. If these things are done, then people like Mr. Lynch will not have to do what law enforcement and the District Attorneys are prevented from doing by arcane, nonsensical laws.
So that you can clearly understand the character of these two men:
According to the Mercury News, after the trial Will Lynch said:
"I was wrong for doing what I did -- in doing that I perpetuated the cycle of violence, But if there is anything I want people to take away from this -- it is you can come forward, you can seek justice and you can find justice in many forms."
Contrast this with DA Jeff Rosen's statement:
He said that he was "disappointed" and that he'd "carefully evaluate whether to retry Lynch on the misdemeanor assault charge."
What is that stinky feces smell?? Why look... DA Rosen has opened his mouth again!
Great post, and right on target! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJuly 6, 2012
ReplyDeleteCA - Jesuits & Catholic officials must act on Lindner, SNAP says
CALIFORNIA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Joelle Casteix on July 06, 2012
After yesterday's Bay Area jury verdict, now attention rightfully shifts from William Lynch to the prosecutor and Catholic officials. The prosecutor should file perjury charges against Fr. Lindner.
San Jose Bishop Patrick McGrath should insist that the Jesuits move Fr. Lindner out of his diocese.
And the Jesuits should, at a bare minimum, put Fr. Lindner to a remote, secure, independently-run treatment center not run by the church. (He's now at a Jesuit facility in Los Gatos where the LA Times says "he is free to travel and tutor seminarians and has collected a living allowance from the order.")
They should also publicly discipline and denounce him.
The Catholic hierarchy now knows Fr. Lindner is both a serial child molester and a perjurer. (Even Fr. Lindner's mom, in today's LA Times, says she's convinced he's a child molester.)