Merryfields Talk about Settlement

By Ben Krumholz
FOX 11
March 22, 2013

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/merryfields-talk-about-settlement

Todd and Troy Merryfield say they aren't satisfied despite the end of their legal battles with the Green Bay Catholic Diocese.

“Money doesn't cure something like this,” said Todd Merryfield. “It never does. Anybody who tells you that, they are lying.”

Former Priest John Feeney was convicted of abusing the Merryfields while he served at a Freedom church in 1978.

The brothers sued the diocese for fraud, claiming the diocese kept quiet about Feeney's abusive history.

In May, a jury sided with the Merryfields.

“That moment that the verdict was read was one of the greatest of our lives,” said Todd Merryfield.

However, the verdict was tossed out after a juror allegedly told other jurors she suspected Feeney may have abused her brother.

Instead of going through another trial, the brothers settled with the Diocese for the same amount they were awarded in the original trial: $700,000.

“It's a relief to be done doing this legal dance,” said Todd Merryfield.

“I'm tired of spending all the money coming from Virginia to come here, spending time away from work, time away from my family,” said Troy Merryfield.

"First and foremost, I would like to say I am truly sorry to Todd Merryfield and Troy Merryfield, as well as their families, for the pain they have endured from child sexual abuse and the lawsuits that followed," said Bishop Ricken in a statement issued on Tuesday, after the settlement was announced.

“If you want to apologize to someone, look them in the face and apologize to them,” said Todd Merryfield. “We've yet to get that.”

After the Merryfields spoke to the media, the Diocese released another statement.

“Following today’s news conference, Bishop Ricken reached out to the Merryfields in the hope of meeting with them personally,” said Justine Lodl, the communications director for the Diocese, in the statement.

The Merryfields then issued a statement of their own.

“We accept Bishop Ricken’s offer to meet with us, but not in private,” the Merryfields said in the statement. “Our trial was in public, so should Bishop Ricken’s response.”

“They screwed up, they need to come out and be honest and I don't expect I'll ever get that out of them,” said Troy Merryfield.

The brothers hope to arrange a public listening session with Bishop Ricken. They say then, real change can begin to happen.

The Merryfields say they are confident they would have won a second trial. However they fear their court battles would have continued with appeals and a possible Supreme Court ruling.