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	Diocese Loses Bid to Chuck Sex Cases 12 Suits Involving Former Priest Move toward Trial By Jean Torkelson Rocky Mountain News April 19, 2007 http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5492108,00.html The Archdiocese of Denver has lost its second attempt to have a group of sex abuse cases involving the late priest Harold Robert White dismissed in Denver district court. Twelve lawsuits moved closer to trial Tuesday when Judge Robert Hyatt rejected the church's argument that the cases should be dismissed because they exceeded the statute of limitations. That makes a total of 15 cases involving White that are now moving forward. Last month Judge John McMullen issued a similar ruling on three cases. White, a defrocked priest, was 73 when he died last November of an apparent heart attack while vacationing in Mexico. The archdiocese has battled more than 30 lawsuits involving either White or Leonard Abercrombie, a priest who died in 1994. The lawsuits allege the archdiocese exerted "negligent supervision" on White while he was serving as a priest in various parishes around Colorado. He's alleged to have sexually abused minors in the 1960s and 1970s. At the heart of the "negligent supervision" argument is whether any archdiocesan staff were aware that White was a sexual predator and yet allowed to remain serving as a priest. It's possible some current priests may be questioned about their ongoing association with White and whether they could contribute any information about his alleged involvement in sex abuse. An attorney for the archdiocese declined to comment. One of the attorneys for White's alleged victims, Jeffrey Herman, represents the plaintiffs whose cases will be heard in McMullen's courtroom. St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson represents the plaintiffs whose cases will be heard in Hyatt's courtroom. torkelsonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5055
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