Victims" Attorney Appeals Ruling on Sealed Testimony of Bishops

By Annysa Johnson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 23, 2012

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/148554615.html

An attorney for 350 alleged victims in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy has appealed the judge's April 5 decision to keep sealed depositions of retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Richard Sklba, along with related documents.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley refused to unseal the evidence saying it contains scandalous information and could inadvertently identify victims who are named in the documents. Weakland and Sklba, who also is retired, handled the archdiocese's sex abuse cases for nearly three decades.

Minnesota attorney Jeffrey Anderson had argued that all names and identifying information would be redacted. He filed the appeal late last week, calling the release of the information a "public imperative."

"We feel strongly that privacy can be protected," he said Monday.