Jury Selection Begins in Priests' Case

By John P. Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
February 21, 2012

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/139820173.html

Jury selection began this morning in the historic child-endangerment and sex-abuse case against three clerics from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

As many as 250 prospective jurors will fill out a questionnaire today as part of selection process that could take as long as a month.

Twelve jurors and 10 alternates are expected to be chosen for the trial, whose opening arguments are scheduled for March 26, with Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina presiding.

On trial will be a former church official, a priest and an ex-priest.

Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is the first church official facing trial for allegedly covering up clergy sex abuse.

According to prosecutors, he recommended his two codefendants, James J. Brennan and Edward Avery, for parish assignments in the 1990s despite knowing or suspecting they would abuse children.

Brennan and Avery have been charged in separate incidents of molesting a boy.

The trial could last four months with as many as 70 witnesses.

Contact: jmartin@phillynews.com