PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Big Trial
By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net
At both of Father Andrew McCormick’s criminal trials, the alleged victim in the case, as well as the prosecutor, made a point of saying that the victim who claimed he was sexually abused as a 10-year-old altar boy wasn’t in it for the money.
That’s why he hadn’t filed a civil suit, the victim said on the witness stand at both trials.
On March 6, 2014, at Father Andy’s first trial, the priest’s defense lawyer, William J. Brennan, cautioned the jury that although the alleged victim had not yet filed a civil suit against the archdiocese, “I don’t know what he’s gonna do tomorrow.”
If people keep telling you, “It’s not about the money, it’s about the money,” Brennan told the jury.
On June 10, the alleged victim in the case fulfilled Brennan’s prophecy by filing a civil suit in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, John Doe v. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Msgr. William Lynn, and Father Andrew McCormick.
Both of Father Andy’s trials ended in deadlocked juries. On April 10th, after the second mistrial in 14 months, Assistant District Attorney Kristen Kemp told Judge Gwendolyn N. Bright that the D.A.’s office would not retry the case a third time. But now the alleged victim is after Father Andy in the civil courts. And in the civil complaint, “John Doe” is seeking damages of more than $50,000, plus punitive damages.
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