Testimony in Civil Fraud Trial against the Gb Catholic Diocese Continues Wednesday

WTAQ
May 16, 2012

http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2012/may/16/testimony-in-civil-fraud-trial-against-the-gb-catholic-diocese-continues-wednesday/

Jury selection begins May 14, 2012 in a civil trial against the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay.

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - Jurors in Appleton will hear a second day of testimony in a civil fraud trial against the Green Bay Catholic Diocese.

Former pastor John Feeney spent 8 years in prison for molesting Todd and Troy Merryfield in 1978, when Feeney served at a church in Freedom in Outagamie County.

Now, the Merryfields contend that the late Bishop Aloysius Wycislo committed fraud, by not telling parishioners about Feeney's history of sexual assaults.

In Tuesday's opening arguments, Troy's lawyer John Peterson said the evidence would show that Feeney was a known risk to children at the Merryfields' former parish.

But church attorney Patrick Brennan said showing risk is not enough proof. He said the plaintiffs must prove that the late bishop knew that Feeney had molested others before the Merryfields were assaulted. And Brennan said there's not enough evidence to back up what he called an "outlandish claim."

Tuesday's first witnesses were several priests who served in the Green Bay Diocese during Feeney's time – and they testified about sexual misconduct allegations which followed the priest.