KENTUCKY
The Cincinnati Post
By Paul A. Long
Post staff reporter
A senior judge in Boone County has backed away from his appointment of a Cincinnati attorney to oversee the settlement of a class-action sexual-abuse lawsuit against the Diocese of Covington.
After meeting privately with attorneys on both sides of the case Tuesday, Judge John Potter agreed to rescind his appointment of Matthew Garretson, who has overseen settlements in similar cases in Louisville and Cincinnati. The attorneys had objected to Garretson's appointment, saying it was unnecessary and that he was unqualified.
Instead, Potter said he would appoint Thomas Lambros, a retired federal judge who already is one of two special masters in charge of evaluating claims and awarding settlement funds to victims. That met with the approval of both diocese attorney Carrie Huff and class attorney Stan Chesley.
"We're very pleased," said Chesley, noting that Lambros was the chief judge in the Northern District of Ohio for many years.
As overseer, Lambros will keep Potter up to date on the settlement process and apprise him of any problems that need his attention.