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	Ruling Friday on Priest's Charges Knoxville News Sentinel March 22, 2011 http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/mar/21/ruling-friday-priests-charges/ A judge said he plans to announce Friday whether he'll throw out charges against a former East Tennessee Catholic priest accused of molesting a boy more than 30 years ago. Circuit Criminal Judge Robert Montgomery is slated to make his ruling based on attorney arguments he heard Monday in a Sullivan County courtroom in the state's case against William Casey, 76, of Greeneville. Casey is charged with aggravated rape and first-degree sexual misconduct charges. On Friday morning, Montgomery told lawyers in the case he will determine whether the charges against Casey were brought outside the statute of limitation, said Assistant District Attorney General Barry Staubus. Warren Tucker of Jeffersonville, Ind., who has gone public with his allegations against Casey, said the abuse began when he was 10 years old in the 1970s and lasted five years. In that time, Casey was a priest at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in Kingsport. On Monday, Tucker testified he'd been penetrated by Casey, Staubus said. Another witness, the Very Rev. David Boettner with the Diocese of Knoxville, also testified that Casey admitted to him he'd had anal and oral sex with Tucker. Casey's lawyer, Rick Spivey, could not be reached for comment. Casey has already been indicted and pleaded guilty to charges in North Carolina. He was sentenced to probation for those charges. He was also indicted in Scott County, Va., last year and is set to go to trial on charges there in mid-July, Wells said. Casey has been suspended from the ministry and a process to dismiss him from the priesthood is under way, Boettner said. Bishop Richard F. Stika of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville sent his case to Rome, where it is being reviewed, Boettner said. Natalie Neysa Alund may be reached at 865-342-6307.
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