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	Measures to Extend Abuse Statutes Still Bogged down By Jeremy Roebuck Philadelphia Inquirer December 23, 2011 http://articles.philly.com/2011-12-22/news/30547219_1_marci-hamilton-abuse-victims-limitations Backers of bills that would allow childhood sex abuse victims more time to confront their attackers in court could not have asked for a year with more news to support their cause. But despite a succession of scandals in 2011 - first in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, then at Pennsylvania State University, and now one involving former Philadelphia Daily News columnist Bill Conlin - measures to extend both civil and criminal statutes of limitations stand no closer to passage than they did 12 months ago. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, such proposals have encountered stiff opposition from critics who warn against changing laws in response to the scandal of the moment. Lawmakers "must temper the impulse to find a 'quick fix' to a horrendous crime with the responsibility to exercise sound legislative judgment," said Ron Marisco (R., Dauphin), chairman of the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee, in a statement. The accusations leveled against Conlin this week are only the latest scandal to fuel calls for changing sex abuse statutes. Six purported victims have now accused the Hall of Fame baseball writer of molestation dating back to the '70s. Through his attorney, he has vowed to clear his name. But because Conlin's accusers allege abuse that took place decades ago, the sportswriter is unlikely to face criminal charges or civil litigation. "It's regrettable that New Jersey prosecutors are limited by a statute of limitations in presenting a case," Kathleen Kane, a Lackawanna County prosecutor currently running for Pennsylvania attorney general, said Thursday. "Law enforcement must be provided the legal means to arrest and prosecute sexual offenders, regardless if the crime occurred a week or a decade ago." Separate measures before lawmakers in Pennsylvania would lift the criminal time limit for reporting sex abuse crimes while creating a two-year window for accusers to sue on old claims that fall outside the current time frame for civil suits. In New Jersey, a measure that cleared the House Judiciary Committee a year ago would eliminate any civil statute of limitations. So far, the bills have not been scheduled for full legislative votes in either state house. That's a trend Marci Hamilton - a plaintiff's attorney who currently represents alleged sex abuse victims suing Penn State and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia - sees changing. With each new child molestation scandal, the public has grown more supportive of these types of laws, she said.
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