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	Timeline: Priest Sex Abuse Case in the Courts Hartford Courant October 5, 2009 http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-priest-sex-abuse-timeline,0,6739234.htmlstory 2001 March 12: Plaintiffs in 23 lawsuits against the Bridgeport diocese -- alleging sexual abuse by priests -- withdraw their lawsuits, in exchange for settlements totaling about $12 million. 2002 March 26: The New York Times files an ``emergency motion'' to intervene in three of the withdrawn cases, seeking access to pretrial and discovery documents filed under seal. The Courant, Boston Globe and Washington Post follow suit. May 8: Judge Robert McWeeny, stating that the ``judicial system should not be party to a cover-up,'' orders that the files be unsealed May 16, 2002, adding that the diocese could file motions by May 15 to keep select documents -- such as psychiatric records -- sealed. 2003 June 25: Appellate Court releases its unanimous ruling denying access to the files, saying the newspapers' motions were filed well beyond the statutory four-month deadline to reopen final judgments or restore withdrawn cases to the docket. The case is appealed to the State Supreme Court by the newspapers. 2005 Nov. 5: State Supreme Court while declaring the documents should be public remands the case back to Waterbury because McWeeny's ruling was rendered after the diocese appealed. 2006 Dec. 7: Superior Court Judge Jon Alander rules that the files should be public. Diocese announces plans to appeal. 2009 May 22: State Supreme Court for a second time rules the documents should be unsealed. June 12: Diocese files a motion to have the high court rehear the case; they are denied. Aug. 6: Diocese files an appeal with U.S. Supreme Court to keep the documents sealed while they prepare a writ of certiorari seeking to have the high court overturn the state ruling. Aug. 26: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg denies the appeal for stay. Diocese attorneys ask Justice Antonin Scalia, whose son is a priest, to issue the stay. Aug. 28: New York attorneys for the diocese file a 50-page writ of certiorari seeking to have U.S. Supreme Court overturn state ruling to unseal documents. Oct. 4: U.S. Supreme Court denies diocese motion for a stay to keep files sealed pending decision on their appeal.
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