January 10, 2006

Diocese may pay $85M

BURLINGTON (KY)
Cincinnati Enquirer

By Mike Rutledge
Enquirer staff writer

BURLINGTON - One Northern Kentucky clergy-abuse victim who urged a judge to approve an $85 million class-action settlement with the Diocese of Covington hugged not only her own lawyers, but the main attorney for the diocese after a 3½-hour hearing Monday.

Attorneys for the victims and the Roman Catholic diocese showed solidarity as they asked Special Judge John Potter of Louisville to approve the settlement, which could pay as many as 382 victims an average of $250,000.

Potter will issue a written ruling in two to three weeks.

"It's not a grudging settlement," Carrie Huff, the Chicago attorney representing the diocese, told Potter. "It's a very, very amicable settlement."

Posted by kshaw at January 10, 2006 04:16 PM