By Kay Ebeling
Examiner
March 18, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-1960-LA-City-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m3d18-Church-finds-new-way-to-use-copyright-law-8-lawyers-to-1-in-Court-Tues
 |
It takes Ralph Steadman art to illustrate what happened in L.A. Superior Court Tuesday regarding privacy rights versus the public’s right to know. Pedophiles who happen to be Franciscan Friars as well had eight attorneys appearing in court to represent them and keep information about their crimes, and how they were able to commit those crimes within a religious hierarchy in Santa Barbara, from ever being released to the public. I bet to the one attorney there to represent the plaintiffs, it seemed like a nightmare attack of Ralph Steadman creatures.
A June 2007 decision in a different courtroom, same building, should have stopped any further interference with release of personnel files on these six sexual predator Santa Barbara Franciscan Friars. At that time Judge Peter Lichtman ruled that the safety of children far outweighs the privacy concerns of the priests.
But now out of left field, no, worse, out of the stands, not even part of the team up to now, representing “Bystanders” comes a whole new team of attorneys wanting to go all the way back to the beginning. Here is where you see real “creative lawyering.” These attorneys represent other Franciscan Friars, not named as perpetrators - yet - who wrote letters that happen to be in the personnel files.
It is not the content of the letters that they want to prevent publishing, so they say. The "Bystanders" claim letters in a personnel file are their property, not the property of the Franciscans who have had the personnel files for the last 30 years or so. Now, putting the files in public archives where diligent journalist and victims advocates and attorneys can find them and read them violates their property rights.
The Bystanders claim violation of their property rights, copyright law, honest
They claim releasing personnnel files that contain letters from them would be afoul of copyright law.
Honest.
Even the Judge Emilie Elias wrinkled her nose up at them as if to say, what the hell are you talking about.
Tuesday's hearing in Dept. 308 was just more diversionary tactics on the part of the Catholic Church to keep the public from ever knowing the extent sex crimes they allowed to take place.
Eight attorneys for the defendants against one attorney for the plaintiff.
The defendant attorneys all backed by that bottomless briefcase full of cash that is Catholic Church legal defense funds.
The one plaintiff attorney got his share of the settlement that these files concern back in 2006. No more cash is coming into the plaintiff attorney coffers from this fight that has now gone on close to three years past the time of the settlements.
Why does the Church go to this trouble the Catholics to keep files with information about child sex crimes out of public hands?. What else are they hiding? Eight attorneys just to keep a few letters in a personnel file from being made available to the public?
I had to carry a pad and paper to the hearing yesterday and have not even had time to go through my notes. All of a sudden I have a lot of transcribing work to do, which is good as that is the work that pays the bills. Any money from City of Angels PayPal goes to a travel budget for upcoming trips. MORE INDEPTH COVERAGE of the hearing Tuesday will follow, when I get a break on my other job. . .
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.