GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Haidee V Eugenio, heugenio@guampdn.com March 16, 2017
Superior Court Judge Vernon P. Perez recused himself this week from hearing two new clergy sex abuse cases, filed in local court March 7 and March 9.
Perez’s recusals in the cases filed by former altar boys Anthony C. Flores and Michael Chargualaf marked the 85th and 86th disqualification memos by local judges assigned to hear childhood sexual abuse lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana and Catholic priests since November.
Perez said his “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” He cited his fairly close relationship with the Archdiocese of Agana’s leadership, his active involvement in his parish in Ordot, and acquaintance with other former altar boys who filed similar lawsuits, including those against Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron.
A review of all disqualification memos filed between Nov. 10, 2016, and March 16, 2017, shows all of Guam’s eight trial court judges have recused themselves from hearing anywhere between two and 14 clergy abuse cases. Perez filed 14 disqualification memos, the latest one involving Flores and Chargualaf’s lawsuits.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.