BishopAccountability.org
	Attorney: Archbishop Is Friend of Pedophile By Matt C. Abbott Renew America [Miami FL] June 7, 2005 More disturbing news from Miami. Florida attorney Sharon Bourassa had a conversation with noted Dallas attorney Sylvia Demarest, who informed Bourassa that Miami archbishop John Favalora "is very good friends" with defrocked priest and convicted pedophile Robert Melancon, currently serving a long prison term. Demarest told Bourassa that "some unknown person" came up with one million in T-bills to make bond for Melancon in 1998. While Melancon was out on bond, he reportedly stayed at the Favalora family home. "Favalora admits to visiting his friend [Melancon] and says he will always visit him," Bourassa asserts. In addition, says Bourassa, Demarest believes Favalora is "one big item" — bigger than people realize. "The priests don't call him 'The Don' for nothing." The following AP news item regarding Melancon, dated May 18, 1999 comes from http://www.thelinkup.org/: An appeals court refused to grant a new trial to a former priest convicted of raping an altar boy. The court rejected claims by Robert Lester Melancon, who was convicted of rape and sentenced in 1996. The former altar boy testified that he was molested and repeatedly raped by the priest in Houma beginning when he was 8 years old. Defense attorneys appealed the conviction, saying the trial should have been moved out of Houma because of heavy media coverage. The defense also claimed the judge should have declared a mistrial after another former altar boy testified that Melancon showed him adult movies and performed oral sex on him. Witnesses were only supposed to testify about alleged acts that were the same as those committed on the rape victim. None of the victim's allegations involved adult movies or oral sex. The three-judge panel said in the ruling the publicity surrounding the case did not jeopardize justice. Matt C. Abbott is the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee and the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League. He is a Catholic journalist and commentator.
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