Jury in Philadelphia Abuse Case Deadlocked

By Joshua J. McElwee
National Catholic Reporter
June 20, 2012

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/jury-philadelphia-abuse-case-deadlocked

The jury in the first case brought against a diocesan official for his role in transferring priests accused of abusing children is deadlocked on most of the charges, several media outlets are reporting.

According to Reuters, the jury deciding the case of Msgr William Lynn sent a note to Judge M. Teresa Sarmina reading: "We the jury are at a hung jury status on all charges except for one."

The seven women and five men of the jury are in their twelfth day of deliberations in the case.

Lynn, who served as secretary of clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese from 1992 to 2004, is accused of participating in a conspiracy of covering up abuse by recommending priests with known histories of sexual abuse to assignments that would further place them in contact with children.

Also on trial is Fr. James J. Brennan, 48, who is accused of child endangerment and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy at his apartment in 1996.