January 06, 2005

Kuhn's defiance not part of bargain

OHIO
Dayton Daily News

By the Dayton Daily News

Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Katherine Huffman proved to be prescient in July at the sentencing of Thomas Kuhn, former pastor of St. Henry Catholic Church in Miami Twp.

The priest had earlier served at Incarnation Church in Centerville, and as chaplain to the Alter High School freshman basketball team and varsity football team. He pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor charge of public indecency and 10 misdemeanor charges of providing alcohol to minors.

When Judge Huffman told Rev. Kuhn his sentence, she worried aloud that "it is of great concern to me that you just don't get this." She characterized him as "absolutely remorseless."

Not only was she right then, Rev. Kuhn still doesn't get it.

He avoided jail time on the charges, but mainly because the maximum time he could be sentenced to was 18 months. Judge Huffman said she was putting him on probation for five years to make sure that he would remain subject to court supervision for a considerably longer period.

The conditions she imposed on Rev. Kuhn's probation are basic: get treatment, stay away from kids, gambling and alcohol, and write letters of apology to the victims, including Alter High School and the parishes that he was associated with. Since then, Rev. Kuhn has decided to take a narrow, technical view of what his probation requires.

Posted by kshaw at January 6, 2005 07:36 AM