SAN DIEGO (CA)
Los Angeles Times
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO — Lawyers for the Roman Catholic Church asked a federal judge Thursday to overturn a state law that opened the door to hundreds of lawsuits against the church and other institutions over childhood sexual abuse.
Two California judges already have upheld the constitutionality of the 2003 California law, which suspended time limits to allow adult victims to sue institutions over their childhood sexual molestations.
Arguing on behalf of the San Diego Archdiocese and an order of nuns, attorney J. Michael Hennigan said the law unfairly targets the Catholic Church. Hennigan also represents the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
He also said the church has suffered an "economic holocaust" in having to pay out hundreds of sexual abuse claims.
Marci Hamilton, a professor at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in New York, who represents alleged victims in the case, pointed out that most of the money paid in church settlements has come from insurers, not the church.