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	Daniel McCormack Case: Doctor to Help Decide Future of Ex-Priest Convicted of Abuse By Manya A. Brachear Chicago Tribune July 17, 2009 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-priest-molest-protestjul17,0,3608426.story n response to concerns about the possible parole of a former Roman Catholic priest convicted of molesting five boys in a church rectory, authorities said Thursday that a doctor will dictate whether prosecutors fight to keep him in custody. A medical evaluation scheduled for next week will help the Illinois attorney general and Cook County prosecutors decide whether to try keeping Daniel McCormack incarcerated under the Illinois Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act. The law allows prosecutors to seek continued incarceration in a secure treatment facility if a psychological exam leads them to believe another sex crime is likely if the inmate goes free. On Thursday, victims' advocates and concerned Catholics appealed to Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan to invoke the act in McCormack's case. Although the Sexually Violent Persons program is overseen by the attorney general, it is pursued in partnership with the prosecutor who initially handled the case. That prosecutor, Assistant State's Atty. Shauna Boliker, expressed concern that such public pleas could backfire, saying the decision must be based on an "unbiased and uninfluenced" doctor's report. But Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said doctors "examine high-profile criminals all the time," adding that publicity might urge more victims to step forward and bolster the case for continued incarceration. If McCormack, 40, is freed, he will be required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and undergo sex offender counseling for three years, said Ken Tupy, legal counsel for the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. He also would not be allowed Internet access or contact with the victims, Tupy said. In July 2007, McCormack pleaded guilty to five felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Contact: mbrachear@tribune.com
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