PENNSYLVANIA
Altoona Mirror
By Phil Ray, pray@altoonamirror.com
A court battle that has lasted nearly two decades between a former Altoona man and the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese has ended with an announcement Saturday that the diocese will not file another appeal.
Bishop Joseph V. Adamec’s decision is printed in the Monday edition of The Catholic Register, the official newspaper of the diocese. Although the publication date is April 17, some parishioners received their copies in the mail Saturday.
Adamec’s decision means 38-year-old Michael Hutchison, now of Columbus, Ohio, will receive $1 million plus interest in punitive damages awarded by a Blair County jury in 1994. Hutchison claimed that he was sexually molested by a priest.
The payment will be forwarded through Hutchison’s attorney this week.