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	Diocesan Settlement Commentary By Fr. Chris Heath Catholic in Orange October 8, 2007 http://catholic-orangemen.blogspot.com/2007/10/diocesan-settlement-commentary.html So the Diocese of Orange has settled the four lay cases for millions of dollars. If Mr. Manly, a lead attorney for the woman who was abused as a teen at Mater Dei by a coach, was really interested in "justice" he would not settle for a payout to his client. Obviously he is only interested in money, as much as he can get (what's his percentage?), rather than to have the facts of the case brought to a jury trial. His willingness to settle makes me wonder if he really thought he had much of a case. It bothers me that the coach, Andrade, admitted he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor but that he's not being punished. It's the Diocese of Orange, which did nothing wrong, that has to pay money to the plaintiff. Women I talk to don't have much sympathy for a teenager who's willing to have an 18-month relationship with an adult, and able to keep it a secret from authorities. When the Church found out what was going on, the man was fired and the girl was offered counseling. What else was supposed to happen? I don't know anything about the three other cases that were settled. I'm just tired of how the Church is vilified and looted because we're the deep pocket. Mr. Manly is like a junkyard dog who bullies everyone, who plays these cases out in the media and spins the evidence into whatever makes the Church and the clergy look as bad as possible. The Church won't defend itself in the media, so only Manly's side is heard. Now that the cases are settled, the Church never gets its side communicated. But what do I know...?
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