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  Judge Allows State's Medical Expert to Evaluate Retired Archbishop in Philly Priest-abuse Case

The Republic
October 7, 2011

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ea20002d1805421283772863e3f600c9/PA--Priest-Abuse-Charges/

A judge will allow prosecutors to have their own medical expert evaluate the retired Roman Catholic archbishop of Philadelphia before a scheduled competency hearing.

It was one of several pretrial motions that Common Pleas Judge Teresa Sarmina ruled on Friday in a criminal priest-abuse case.

Prosecutors want to call retired Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (bev-uh-LOK'-wuh) to testify, but church lawyers say the former archbishop suffers from cancer and dementia. His competency hearing is Nov. 28.

Monsignor William Lynn is the first Catholic church official in the U.S. charged with endangering children through priest transfers. Three other priests and a teacher are charged with rape.

Also Friday, Sarmina deferred a request from Lynn's lawyers to move the trial because of pretrial publicity. She denied their request to lift a gag order.

 
 

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