Fr. Brennan Retrial Ordered in Priest Child Sex Abuse Case
By Karen Araiza
Father James Brennan will be retried in the landmark priest child sex abuse case. He's accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Jurors could not agree on a verdict in his first trial. On Monday morning, Philadelphia prosecutors announced they'll put Brennan on trial again. "I keep up my prayer life," Fr. Brennan told NBC10's Terry Ruggles after the decision was announced. "I'm stronger now than I've ever been. This has really brought me to a whole new place, spiritually and personally and I rely on friends and family like never before." He was a co-defendant in the trial earlier this summer with Monsignor William Lynn. After 13 days of deliberating, jurors could not agree on verdicts for Brennan and could only agree on one of the three verdicts for Lynn. Lynn was convicted of one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He was accused of mishandling sex abuse complaints while he was secretary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Monsignor Lynn was acquitted of a second charge of endangerment and a charge of conspiracy. He was taken straight to jail and was denied a later request to be put under house arrest until his sentencing on July 24. On the day of the verdicts in that first trial, Father Brennan was elated that he got to home a free man. The jury was hung on one count of attempted rape and a second count of endangering the welfare of a child. "My faith is what got me through all this! The prayers from family, friends that have just been constant, constant for me." Two jurors who talked that day told NBC10 that they couldn't make up their minds about the charges against Brennan because they either didn't find the witnesses credible, didn't feel like they got enough information to make a good decision and they wanted to hear from Father Brennan. Fr. Brennan's attorney says he thinks his client has been through enough, but they are "ready to go."
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