Foreman: Priest Abuse Jury Deliberations Got Heated

My Fox Philly
June 25, 2012

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/18872149/foreman-priest-abuse-jury-deliberations-got-heated


[with video]

PHILADELPHIA - Two big verdicts were handed down by two different juries on Friday, including the conviction of Jerry Sandusky and the conviction of Monsignor William Lynn.

But the jury in the Philadelphia church sex abuse trial could not agree on the charges against Father James Brennan, which resulted in a mistrial.

Joining "Good Day" Monday was Issa Logan, the jury foreman on that case.

The jurors come to agreement on the charges against Brennan, who was accused of trying to rape a teenager, "because the evidence didn't allow us to actually believe – or all of us to believe – that he actually raped a child," Logan said.

The accuser testified during the trial, but Logan said some of the jurors had problems with discrepancies in the evidence, adding that "the story didn't stay as consistent as we needed it to be in order to make a decision."

"Because we weren't there, we had to make a decision off of the evidence and not our feelings, and that was the hard part," Logan said.

The mother of the now grown-up accuser also testified, but her turn on the stand may not have helped the prosecution.

"She kind of made it a little cloudier for us because her, herself, even said she will never know what happened," Logan said.

The jury later asked to have the mother's testimony read back to them, and the judge initially denied that request. But after word came Wednesday that the jurors were deadlocked on four out of five counts in the trial, the judge said they could hear that testimony again if necessary.

As deliberations dragged on, there was frustration on all sides, including the lawyers, judge and the jury.

"Well, the frustration really on our end was some of us didn't know how to express our feelings and, because of that fact, then we would get frustrated within ourselves because I can't express what I'm trying to say to a fellow juror," Logan said.

Lynn was found guilty of one count of endangering the welfare of a child but not guilty of a conspiracy and a second endangering count.

Logan said the charge Lynn was convicted on wasn't about him passing the priests around from parish to parish but what he did after learning someone was a problem or could be a problem.

"None of us … believed that he had the understanding that, 'Here's a predator priest, I'll help him get to another parish to continue to enjoy what he likes to do.' None of us believed that," Logan said. "We felt, we went off the elements of the charge of endangering the welfare of a minor."

According to Logan, the conspiracy charge said jurors had to believe that Lynn, with Avery, was thinking molestation was something the reverend liked to do and was trying to help him go parish to parish.

Asked if the deliberations ever got heated in the jury room, Logan said, "Anytime you have a mix of different people, whether it be ethnicity or religious background, you'll have somewhat of heated deliberations. But none of us were back there yelling at each other or getting, coming at each other's throats."

"We all were passionate about the case itself," he added. "We wanted justice, and we wanted each other to fully understand our thoughts and our feelings."

Asked if he feels they got justice on this case, Logan said, "We believe so, yes. We think so."

For Logan, who recently served in the military, this was his first time ever serving on a jury.

District Attorney Seth Williams also joined "Good Day" (see the second video clip) and said his office is reviewing the Brennan case to determine how to proceed.

Meanwhile, Lynn's attorneys, as promised, filed a motion Monday morning asking the judge to release him on house arrest.