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	Victims Applaud Judge in Philly Priests’ Case SNAP July 29, 2011 http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/2011_statements/072911_victims_applaud_judge_in_philly_priests_case.htm Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, National Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314-566-9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com) We are grateful that Judge Ransom has seen through the largely bogus claims of church defense lawyers. And we’re glad that a jury will see evidence that these clerics acted together to commit and conceal child sex crimes. The Catholic church isn’t some loosely-knit hippie commune. It’s a rigid, secretive, tightly-knit institution. So when crimes happen, it’s disingenuous for church officials to pretend that everyone involved is disconnected from one another. (SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org) Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com),Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com),Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com). http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18575124 Judge: Try church sex scandal defendants together By JOANN LOVIGLIO Associated Press - Posted: 07/29/2011 05:36:53 AM PDT PHILADELPHIA—A Philadelphia judge has ruled that the five defendants charged in a sex-abuse scandal at the city's Roman Catholic archdiocese will stand trial together. Common Pleas Judge Lillian Ransom denied most of the pretrial requests made Friday by Monsignor William Lynn, two current priests, a former priest and a former Catholic school teacher. Lynn is the only U.S. church official ever charged in the sex-abuse scandal for allegedly transferring predator priests to unsuspecting parishes. The other four are charged with raping boys in their care. The charges came as part of a scathing grand jury report released in February that accused the church of protecting priests who sexually abused children. Ransom is dismissing some conspiracy charges connecting the defendants but allowed the most severe charges to move forward.
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