BishopAccountability.org
	Burlington Catholic Diocese Jury Selection Begins By Brian Joyce WCAX [Vermont] June 18, 2007 http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=6675876&nav=4QcS Jury selection is nearly complete for Vermont's second civil trial accusing the Roman Catholic Diocese of failing to protect a boy from a pedophile priest. The Vermont Diocese has already paid more than one and a half million dollars to settle four lawsuits filed by men who claimed church leaders coddled and covered up for predatory priests. This Wednesday the Catholic Diocese will go on trial again. But, this time the church is claiming IT is the victim of a man who is making up a story hoping to collect millions. Monday morning at the Chittenden Superior Court in Burlington, 84 potential jurors were questioned by lawyers for the trial that is scheduled to begin Wednesday. Looking on in the courtroom, though we do not identify sex abuse victims, was a 45-year-old man who claims he was sexually molested by former priest Alfred Willis in 1977. But the alleged victim is not suing Willis. He is suing the Vermont Catholic Diocese. He claims church leaders knew, or should have known, that Willis was a sexual predator, but failed to protect him. His lawyers asked the potential potential jurors, one by one, if they would be willing to make the church pay a large award as punishment for the alleged negligence that caused lifelong psychological trauma to their client. "Do you think that who the defendant is when it comes to punitive damages makes a difference?" asked John Evers, one of the plaintiff's lawyers. "Whether for example it's the Fort Motor Company or it's the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington? You would treat them the same?" he asked. The Diocese lawyers claim the alleged victim is a gold-digger who hopes to cash in the climate created by the recent spate of la "If the facts satisfy you that the Diocese did not have a part to play, it wasn't negligent in connection with the actions of Father Willis, can you return a verdict for the Diocese?" asked David Cleary, Diocese lawyer. Because of the emotional nature of this suit, the court called in more than 300 people to be in the jury pool . Normally they call in about 60. 114 of them were eliminated because they had strong feelings for or against the church, or knew someone who had been sexually abused, not necessarily by a priest. Nevertheless, by days end, they had seated almost an entire jury. Only two more were needed and the trial should start Wednesday. Brian Joyce: joyce@wcax.com
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