Jury again unable to reach verdict in priest’s sex-abuse trial

PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer

JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
POSTED: Wednesday, March 11, 2015

For the second time in 12 months, a Philadelphia jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy almost 18 years ago in a Bridesburg parish.

The Common Pleas Court jury of 10 women and 2 men hearing the trial of Rev. Andrew McCormick, 58, announced Wednesday that it was hung. The mistrial came one day shy of a year since the last mistrial.

McCormick’s face reddened as he heard the jury foreman respond “no verdict” to each of the five counts against him: involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, child endangerment, corruption of a minor, and indecent assault of a minor under 13.

But afterward, the priest of 33 years seemed upbeat, wishing court staff a happy Easter as he signed a subpoena to appear at an April 10 hearing. That is the date when the District Attorney’s Office must decide if it will try McCormick a third time.

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