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| Day after Dolan Deposition, Milwaukee Archdiocese Wants Bankruptcy Court to Stop Payments to Victims and Creditors Legal Representatives As Required by Law
SNAP Wisconsin
February 21, 2013
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Day after Dolan deposition, Milwaukee Archdiocese wants bankruptcy court to stop payments to victims and creditors legal representatives as required by law
Archdiocese lawyers, however, will likely remain fully compensated to continue legal battle against victims
Contrary to Dolan’s claims, court has ruled that posting list of some abusive priests on archdiocesan website in 2004 was not proper notification to stop fraud cases
WHO
Victim/survivors of childhood sexual abuse by clergy of the Milwaukee Archdiocese, including leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org/SNAPwisconsin.com) will be joined by victim/claimants in the
Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy hearing to discuss Judge Susan V. Kelley’s rulings after Thursday’s hearing.
WHEN
Thursday, February 21st. Court hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
On the front steps of the Federal Courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, after the hearing.
WHEN
Thursday, February 21st. Court hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
On the front steps of the Federal Courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, after the hearing.
WHY
On Thursday, February 21st, the day after Cardinal Timothy Dolan was deposed by the Milwaukee Federal Bankruptcy Court for his involvement in transferring tens of millions of dollars before the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection two years ago, lawyers for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will ask Judge Susan V. Kelley to stop payments to victims and creditors legal representatives while church lawyers will likely continue to be compensated for their legal battle against 570 victims of abusive priests.
The archdiocese is claiming that the nearly 10 million dollars spent over the past two years, which has not led to a single restitution settlement to any victim, has left them with no financial resources. Under issue is exactly what constitutes the archdiocese as a corporation and what financial resources and assets they actually possess.
Lawyers hired by the archdiocese to fight victims, however, will likely remain fully compensated by insurance companies.
Ironically, even though Catholics have been paying insurance for decades, the archdiocese appears to be teaming up with carriers instead of vigorously seeking coverage for cases. That is why in a second motion to be argued tomorrow, victims attorneys and the Creditors Committee will be asking Kelly to resolve the insurance issue before allowing the archdiocese to spend more resource and time in their relentless efforts to throw victim’s cases from court.
Last month, Kelley ruled that several key victim cases could go forward having been filed in time to meet the Wisconsin statute of limitations for fraud.
The archdiocese, according to the court, and contrary to Dolan’s claims yesterday of publishing the names of some abusive priests in the archdiocesan website in 2004, did not provide adequate and proper public notification.
CONTACT
Peter Isely, SNAP Midwest Director, 414.429.7259
John Pilmaier, SNAP Wisconsin Director, 414.336.8575
Mike Sneesby, SNAP Milwaukee Director, 414.915.4374
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. Visit us at SNAPnetwork.org and SNAPwisconsin.com.
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