TUCSON (AZ)
Tucson Citizen
SHERYL KORNMAN
Tucson Citizen
Today, dozens of people were expected to ask a federal bankruptcy judge in Tucson to reconsider their rejected claims of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy.
More than 60 claims were turned down by a panel the judge appointed to review them as part of the process to reorganize the operation of the Diocese of Tucson under Chapter 11 bankruptcy law.
In all, 103 claims were received. The panel has set up a ranking system for paying victims.
The diocese has agreed to pay at least $15 million to victims of abuse by its clergy in its effort to move beyond the pedophilia scandal that has tainted the church here.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 protection Sept. 20, 2004, in the face of mounting new claims of sexual abuse following a $14 million clergy sex abuse settlement reached in civil court in 2002.
As the reorganization effort under Chapter 11 got under way, federal bankruptcy Judge James Marlar named a panel of lawyers and sexual abuse victims to the "tort claims committee." It is that panel that has been reviewing the abuse claims filed by the court's April 15 deadline.