SPOKANE (WA)
The Oregonian
9/7/2005, 5:54 a.m. PT
The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — As expected, the Diocese of Spokane has appealed a bankruptcy judge's ruling that Roman Catholic churches and schools may be sold to satisfy sexual abuse claims.
In an appeal filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, lawyers for Bishop William S. Skylstad wrote that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Patricia C. Williams erred in her analysis in 11 areas and wrongly ignored evidence and centuries of religious law.
Lawyers for parishes facing potential loss of churches and schools joined in the appeal.
In reply, lawyers for people whose lawsuits claiming sexual abuse by priests resulted in the Chapter 11 filing by the diocese said the appeal could delay resolution of those cases for years.
Williams issued the key ruling in a largely uncharted area of the law on Aug. 26, Skylstad said the same day it would be appealed. Even at a hearing in June, the judge said, "All I'm doing is writing the first position paper for appeal."