CAMDEN (NJ)
NJ Spotlight News - WNET [New York NY]
February 6, 2025
By Brianna Vannozzi
[See also the transcript of Judge Warshaw’s decision.]
The Catholic Diocese of Camden challenged use of a special grand jury for the investigation
New details have emerged about secretive court proceedings that have allowed the Catholic Church to delay a state investigation into sex abuse allegations.
The Catholic Diocese of Camden was able to shut down part of the investigation at a secret court hearing roughly two years ago, according to court documents first obtained by NorthJersey.com.
The diocese challenged the state’s authority to use a special grand jury for the investigation, which was supposed to end with an extensive report detailing individual abusers, their actions and any broader cover-up by the church. A judge sided with the diocese and agreed to seal the ruling at the request of the church, writing that special grand juries investigate public officials or government agencies, not private institutions like churches.
That ruling — issued in May 2023 and only made public now — is being appealed to the state Supreme Court by the attorney general’s office.
An Emmy award-winning journalist, Briana Vannozzi serves as the anchor for NJ Spotlight News, the newsroom of NJ PBS. She’s worked in several capacities since joining the news division in 2012, as interim anchor and senior correspondent after years of general assignment reporting as a multimedia journalist.