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	Q&A: LA Archdiocese Reaches $660m Settlement on Clergy Sex Abuse Allegations Associated Press, carried in International Herald Tribune July 16, 2007 http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/16/america/NA-GEN-US-Church-Abuse-Q-A.php Los Angeles: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached a $660 million (€478.92 million) settlement with more than 500 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse, by far the largest settlement since the scandal emerged in Boston in 2002. Here are some common questions about the settlement, and their answers: Q: How much money will the plaintiffs get? A: The settlement is for $660 million, but different people will get different amounts depending on how badly they were abused and how long the abuse lasted. Also, lawyers for the plaintiffs will take a cut of the payout, ranging from 33 percent to 40 percent — anywhere between $218 million (€158.19 million) and $264 million (€191.57 million). Q: When will the plaintiffs get their money? A: The agreement says that the plaintiffs will get their money by Dec. 1, 2007, at the latest. Q: How will the archdiocese pay for the settlement? A: Cardinal Roger Mahony says that the archdiocese will have to sell some of its property, dip into its investment portfolio and borrow money to cover the settlement. Parish churches and schools will not be sold, however. Q: Why did the archdiocese face so many claims? A: In 2002, California legislators rolled back the statute of limitations on sexual abuse for one year. That allowed hundreds of alleged sexual abuse victims to file lawsuits, even though they could not pursue criminal cases. Other states did not pass such a law, so the number of cases in California was much larger — nearly 1,000 claims statewide and more than 500 in Los Angeles alone. Q: What else was in the final settlement? A: The deal calls for the archdiocese to publicly release confidential priest personnel files that could show how much church leaders knew about various abusive priests and when they knew it. A judge must review each file before it is released, however, and attorneys for priests who are still living may be able to get the files sealed because they contain private medical and psychological evaluations. If the documents do become public, attorneys for the plaintiffs believe they will show an attempt to cover up abuse and shuffle troubled priests between parishes.
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