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Prosecutor Vows Retrial After Phila. Priest Sex Abuse Jury Deadlocks
By Tony Hanson
CBS Philly
March 12, 2014
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/03/12/prosecutor-vows-retrial-after-phila-priest-sex-abuse-jury-deadlocks/
[with video]
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A mistrial was declared this afternoon in the case of a Philadelphia priest charged with sexually assaulting a ten-year-old altar boy in 1997.
The jury reported today that it was deadlocked — that all discussions among jurors had ceased.
And although the panel was ordered by the court to keep trying, the jury was back a short time later to report that nothing had changed.
And with that, the case was over. Prosecutor Kristen Kemp told the court the case will be retried.
The judge has imposed a gag order, so the attorneys, defendant Father Andrew McCormick, the alleged victim, and all other witnesses in the case are prohibited from commenting.
During trial, the jury heard from the alleged victim who testified he was assaulted in the priest’s rectory living quarters after an evening mass.
Father McCormick also testified, denying the allegations and telling the jury he never molested this boy or any of the hundreds of altar boys he supervised (see previous story).
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