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  LA Clergy-Abuse Payout Dwarfs Other Deals

By Gillian Flaccus
The Arizona Republic
July 15, 2007

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0715ChurchAbuseSide0715.html?&wired

Los Angeles - Steven Sanchez says he has spent the past several months steeling himself to explain to a jury of 12 strangers the worst moments of his life: his sexual abuse by a priest.

Now it appears he won't have to.

The Associated Press learned Saturday that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has settled its clergy abuse cases for at least $660 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual-abuse scandal. The news came two days before jury selection was to begin in the first of more than 500 clergy abuse cases. The archdiocese and the plaintiffs reached a deal Saturday, said Ray Boucher, the lead plaintiff's attorney. An anonymous source with knowledge of the deal placed its value at $660 million. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been officially announced.

The archdiocese and the plaintiffs will release a statement Sunday morning and hold a news conference Monday, Boucher said.

Sanchez, one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday, had been expected to testify in a case involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.

He had to repeat his story of abuse in recent months for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys.

"We're 48 hours away from starting the trial and I've been spending a lot of time getting emotionally prepared to take them on, but I'm glad," the 47-year-old financial adviser said. "It's been a long five years."

The amount, which would average a little more than $1.3 million per plaintiff, exceeded earlier reports that the settlement would be between $600 million and $650 million.

The settlement also calls for the release of confidential priest personnel files after review by a judge assigned to oversee the litigation, Boucher said.

It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders.

A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.

Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman, declined to comment on any settlement details.

The settlement would be the largest ever by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual-abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002.

 
 

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