BishopAccountability.org
	Abuse Group Doubts Archdiocese Lawyer My Fox Philly February 21, 2011 http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/022111-abuse-group-doubts-archdiocese-lawyer [with video] An abuse advocate group, SNAP, says a lawyer hired by the Philadelphia archdiocese may not be impartial. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is questioning why the church hired a lawyer with close connections to the archdiocese to investigate 37 potential abuse cases. Just last week Cardinal Justin Rigali suspended three priests named who were not charged in a recent grand jury report on sexual abuse. At the same time he hired Gina Smith, a former assistant District Attorney who prosecuted numerous sexual abuse cases for two decades, to look into the cases of 37 priests mentioned in the grand jury report. That move came six days after the grand jury handed up criminal charges against four priests and said the archdiocese wasn't doing enough to identify abusive priests and protect children. SNAP says Smith has too many ties to the Catholic church and they want someone else to look into this. Smith is a life-long Catholic who also served on a Church-associated board. The diocese pointed out that Smith's appointment was praised by Philadelphia's district attorney last week when it was announced. A spokewoman also said Smith has resigned from the Catholic Social Services Board. SNAP also called on Cardinal Rigali to fire his victims assistance coordinators and lawyers who have been working for the archdiocese on sexual abuse allegations.
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