Source Said in March That Rev. Daniel McCormack Might Consider Guilty Plea
CBS 2
May 1, 2007
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_121135606.html
McCormack's case resulted in several lawsuits and touched off a scandal in the Chicago Archdiocese, with some critics saying abuse allegations against McCormack fell on deaf ears.
Chicago — A Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting boys at a West Side parish made a court appearance on Tuesday.
The Rev. Daniel McCormack has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
His scheduled appearance was before Criminal Court Judge Thomas Sumner, but the outcome of the status hearing was not immediately available.
But in March, a source told CBS 2 that McCormack might be at least to "talk" about a guilty plea.
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| Rev. Daniel McCormack |
At the last status hearing on March 21, McCormack's attorney asked for a private conference with the judge and prosecutor. After that meeting, the case was continued to today.
Plea bargaining raises the potential for a guilty plea, but there is no guarantee.
Rev. McCormack is the subject of two separate criminal cases.
In one case, is accused of abusing two boys in the North Lawndale neighborhood, where McCormack worked as a teacher. The boys were 10 and 11 at the time of the alleged abuse. That is the case for which McCormack was appearing in court on Tuesday
McCormack is charged with fondling the 10-year-old once at the rectory of St. Agatha Church, at 3147 W. Douglas Blvd. The boy played on the basketball team McCormick coached.
But authorities said the alleged abuse of the 11-year-old took place on a daily basis between September 2005 and January 2006. That abuse allegedly happened at Presentation School, at 3900 W. Lexington St. in the city's North Lawndale neighborhood, where McCormack taught and coached basketball.
The two boys came forward after McCormack was charged with sexually abusing three other boys.
McCormack pleaded not guilty in March to charges that he molested three boys between September 2001 and January 2005 at St. Agatha and Our Lady of the Westside School. Those boys were eight, nine and 11 years old at the time.
McCormack's case resulted in several lawsuits and touched off a scandal in the Chicago Archdiocese, with some critics saying abuse allegations against McCormack fell on deaf ears.
Francis Cardinal George has conceded that the Archdiocese did not take action soon enough against McCormack.
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