PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
As the defense rested its case Tuesday in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial, the momentum in the courtroom appeared to be shifting. The question is whether it had moved enough to matter.
A month ago, the prosecution appeared so far out in the lead, they were paring down witness lists, and playing it safe, as they strove to protect a big fourth-quarter lead. Sure there were problems with the Father James J. Brennan side of the case, but the evidence against Msgr. William J. Lynn seemed stacked so high the only question was when the monsignor went down, would that giant sucking sound take Father Brennan along with him.
But then Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, who had been pro-prosecution all the way, suddenly whacked two conspiracy charges off the prosecution’s case. Next the defense stole the prosecution’s alleged smoking gun — that list of 35 abuser priests drawn up by Lynn and ordered shredded by Cardinal Bevilacqua — and used that same evidence to show that Lynn may have been just a patsy.
Yesterday, the last shoe to drop was Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington’s anti-climactic finish to his three-day cross-examination of Msgr. Lynn, a performance that was toned-down from the previous fireworks. By the time Blessington limped to the finish, it sure seemed like the prosecutor had run out of steam. That’s the risk you take when you stretch a cross over three days, but maybe the prosecution is still so far ahead, it won’t matter.
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