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| Stupid Lockeford Supporters Worshiping Fr. Kelly (or something...) |
According to Lodinews.com (pdf) Fr. Michael Kelly of the Stockton Diocese has been criminally indicted by an impartial Grand Jury of his peers, and authorities are now seeking to extradite the "Priest" who has already been found liable in civil court of the molestation of young boys. If you recall when we reported on this awhile ago, Kelly fled to Ireland just after he had been found liable for the molestation of a young boy, but before the trial was completed -- before the award phase ($3.75M awarded) Additional lawsuits followed. The asshat Catholic Church has not defrocked the pervert, but they don't want him to do communion or wear his collar, and you know... molestation is totally frowned upon by the Church unless it can be totally covered up (or something....)
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According to Lodinews.com (pdf), the Stockton Diocese has also today announced that they will be declaring bankruptcy. This would be GREAT news if the Diocese were selling off all properties and shutting down all of the churches and schools and other "good works" they have underway in order to make payments to the victims.
Unfortunately, the real reason is of course so that they can protect the assets that are not already protected and avoid paying the victims their full court awards, as well as to stay discovery in additional civil cases underway by Attorney John Manly, who was the attorney in the recent $3.75M award case.
Of course Bishop Stephen E. Blaire positions the news as if he truly wants to "fulfill the responsibilities it has to victims of sexual abuse, particularly those who have not yet had their day in court" but anyone reading the article with an ounce of intelligence will begin to understand the real reasons, as Blaire goes on to tally all of the church assets that are immune from the lawsuits, as they have been protected by incorporating separately, assuring compartmentalization of damage. But Blaire flat out states that "we believe that filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection is the only way the Diocese of Stockton can continue [...]"
According to Lodinews.com Blaire states that "We can never forget that these evil acts [he doesn't even have the balls to blame their employees; the evil "Priests"], not the victims of the abuse, are responsible for the financial difficulties we now face" but then he glosses over the fact that justified court awards will probably be drastically reduced in the "fair" Chapter 11 process, saying that "Victims of sexual abuse will be represented in this process intended to result in fair compensation of all of these individuals. If we did not file, any remaining funds available to victims would likely be consumed in the next case, leaving nothing for those claims that have not yet been resolved."
While it would be lousy to be the 5th or 10th victim down the line, and sue, but get nothing because there was no Diocese left, I feel that that's exactly how it should go -- This Diocese has exhibited nothing but gross negligence over the past decades (to the tune of more than $35 million in sexual abuse damage claims) and they should be forced to sell off buildings, furnishings, properties, pensions, insurance polices, controlling party assets, and all other assets until they completely cease to exist. This kind of negligence does not deserve the mercy of the bankruptcy court, and I, for one, hope that they are denied bankruptcy.
More insidiously, however is that the actions by Bishop Blaire, et al, are designed to block discovery in other civil actions, as Chapter 11 automatically stays all discovery in civil cases. Attorney John Manly is more blatent in his criticism of Blair, saying that "There are really two perpetrators in every case involving Fr. Michael Kelly. There is Fr. Kelly and the Bishops of Stockton, including Roger Mahony and Bishop Stephen Blaire, who protected him.
Here's John Manly's entire statement as published on PR Newswire:
STOCKTON, Calif., Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Yesterday, a Grand Jury convened by the Calaveras County District Attorney's Office indicted Diocese of Stockton Priest Fr. Michael Kelly, on numerous criminal counts related to brutal childhood sexual abuse in the year 2000 while serving as the Pastor of St. Andreas Parish in the Diocese of Stockton.
Fr. Kelly absconded to Ireland in 2012, in the middle of a child molestation trial being prosecuted by this firm on behalf of another Kelly victim, only days after he was unanimously found by a jury to have raped and molested our client, a highly decorated Air Force Officer, when he was in 4th grade at Annunciation School in Stockton. Kelly is known to be in Ireland, but guards his location and has repeatedly taken steps to avoid service of process.
Our firm, and our clients, are gratified by this indictment, and are very grateful to the Grand Jury and law enforcement officials in Calaveras County who worked tirelessly for justice on behalf of the victim in the indictment and the numerous other victims of Fr. Kelly.
Today, we call on Bishop Blaire, the Diocese of Stockton, and Monsignor Richard Ryan, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Stockton, a seminary classmate and lifelong friend of Michael Kelly, to disclose Kelly's whereabouts to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office. Moreover, we call on the Holy See and the Irish Bishops to effectively issue a clerical "all point's bulletin" to all Dioceses and Parishes in Ireland requiring the clergy there disclose Kelly's whereabouts to US law enforcement officials immediately. We believe Kelly is being protected by clergy in Ireland and his whereabouts are known to them.
There are really two perpetrators in every case involving Fr. Michael Kelly. There is Fr. Kelly and the Bishops of Stockton, including Roger Mahony and Bishop Stephen Blaire, who protected him. Indeed, Bishop Blaire and Monsignor Ryan's depositions are scheduled for next week. We learned on the day Fr. Kelly was indicted that they now plan to file bankruptcy only days before their depositions are scheduled. The bankruptcy filing automatically stays discovery in a civil case. It is clear that the Diocese is filing bankruptcy not because it does not have the money to pay a judgment or settlement in the three cases pending against it, but rather, to prevent the truth about the complicity of Bishop Blaire and Monsignor Ryan and other Diocese's members in Kelly's crimes. It is a misuse of the process and cowardly.
SOURCE Manly, Stewart & Finaldi