attorney who sued catholic church in new mexico

Blea filed his lawsuit in state district court in Santa Fe in March, saying he was defamed when the Archdiocese of Santa Fe last year published the names of 74 men it said were Catholic clergy who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing children in New Mexico.

Full Answer

Why is the Catholic Church settling claims with dispatch?

For some lawyers, there is also the prospect of settling scores—the anger displayed against the Catholic Church is palpable. What is going on is religious profiling.

How long does it take to file a claim against Catholic League?

Typically, proposed changes in law do not apply to the public sector, leaving public school victims with only 90 days to file a claim ...

How much money has the Catholic Church spent on lawsuits?

The Catholic Church has spent nearly $4 billion on lawsuits since the 1980s. Recent high-profile cases have kept the issue of church-sanctioned sexual abuse in the headlines. As a nation, we are grappling with questions like: “How does this happen?” and “How can we stop the abuse from continuing to happen?”.

How long does it take to get a priest charged in California?

Under California law, criminal prosecutors can file charges against priests within one year of the victim reporting the abuse to authorities, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred, but there are still many survivors who fall outside this window.

What is the Pope saying about the failure of ecclesial authorities?

As Pope Francis himself put it: “The failure of ecclesial authorities—bishops, religious superiors, priests and others—to adequately address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and sham e for the Catholic community.”. The best way to stop the cycle of abuse is to ensure the most powerful members ...

Can a civil lawsuit hold a person accountable for sexual abuse?

Criminal lawsuits may only hold a single person accountable for an act of sexual abuse, but civil law allows for many others to be held responsible. There are many different law doctrines attorneys can pursue to hold leaders in the church, as well as larger organizations, accountable for their actions and inactions.

Can the Vatican be sued?

Mosman in Portland, Oregon decided that the Vatican could, in fact, be sued on the grounds that priests are considered employees of the Vatican. This ruling was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in 2012.

Is the Vatican responsible for sexual abuse?

In the past, it has been difficult to hold the Vatican accountable for sexual abuse accusa tions that transcend borders. According to National Catholic Reporter, efforts to hold the Vatican (and even the pope himself) accountable have been dismissed by federal courts in Oregon, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Texas.

Catholic Church Clergy & Priest Sex Abuse List

Merson Law has compiled a list of Roman Catholic Priests and Clergy members (priest sex abuse list; priest list of sex offenders; catholic priests molestation list) accused of sexual abuse and/or sexual assault of minors.

Table of Contents

Please note that this list of sex abuse by clergy members is not an exhaustive and complete list.