March 16, 2005

Diocese wants lawsuits tossed

HOLLIDAYSBURG (PA)
Altoona Mirror

By Phil Ray

HOLLIDAYSBURG - The Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese plans to seek dismissal of 14 priest sex abuse cases filed in the past year after the state Superior Court this week upheld a two-year statute of limitations in similar lawsuits.

Altoona Attorney Richard Serbin may have been stunned by the decision, but he said Tuesday that he is far from giving up his fight. Serbin estimates that he has filed more than 100 lawsuits in Pennsylvania.

Serbin has been involved with priest sex abuse cases for almost two decades. Last year, he settled a series of cases in Blair County for more than $3 million. He also won a $1.5 million verdict in 1994 against the diocese.

Posted by kshaw at March 16, 2005 06:18 AM