PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Big Trial
By Ralph Cipriano
for Bigtrial.net
In the hallway outside Courtroom 1102 at the Criminal Justice Center, a couple of nuns in full habit and some devout Catholics were praying the rosary with “Father Andy.”
While a jury deliberates the priest’s fate, Father Andrew McCormick and his loyal supporters maintained a prayer vigil, sending up plenty of Hail Marys.
Early today, it looked like Father Andy would need a miracle to stay out jail.
The jury came back with a question for the judge that sent panic through Father Andy’s supporters. The jury asked Judge Gwendolyn N. Bright if the testimony of the alleged victim alone would be sufficient to convict Father Andy of sex abuse charges. The judge responded that if the jury believed the alleged victim’s testimony beyond a reasonable doubt it would be sufficient to convict the defendant.
Defense lawyer Trevan Borum looked shaken as he left the courthouse but hovered at a hotel across the street in case the jury had any more bombshells to drop.
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