COVINGTON (KY)
Cincinnati Post
By Paul A. Long
Post staff reporter
A judge has approved the $85 million settlement reached between the Diocese of Covington and hundreds of people who say they were abused by priests or other diocesan employees over the past 50 years.
Senior Judge John Potter on Tuesday filed a 15-page opinion finding all parts of the settlement "fair, reasonable and adequate."
He said the attorneys and others involved laid out an agreement that covered all aspects of the case and treated the victims and the diocese fairly. While some details could have been tinkered with, Potter said, nothing would have produced "a markedly better result."
Both sides had asked Potter to approve the settlement, and both issued statements praising him for doing so. Stan Chesley, the lead attorney for those suing the diocese, called it "a landmark case and a landmark decision."