California Lawyers May Represent Archbishop Hon in Slander, Libel Case

By Jasmine Stole
Pacific Daily News
September 7, 2016

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/09/07/california-lawyers-may-represent-archbishop-savio-hon-tai-fai-libel-case/89946822/

Archbishop Savio Tai Fai Hon addresses clerymen and other Catholic faithfuls during a prayer gathering at the Saint Anthony and Saint Victor Catholic Church in Tamuning on Thursday, June 9.

The Vatican-appointed apostolic administrator retained the legal services of two California-based lawyers in a $2 million libel and slander case filed by four people who publicly accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexual assault.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, apostolic administrator for the Archdiocese of Agana, retained attorneys Britt Evangelist and Mary McNamara, who both work for the law firm Swanson & McNamara LLP in San Francisco, California.

Evangelist and McNamara filed applications on Aug. 30 to practice as lawyers in Guam temporarily for the case against the archbishop, according to court documents. In their applications, McNamara and Evangelist state they have been retained by Archbishop Hon.

Roy T. Quintanilla, Walter G. Denton, Roland P. L. Sondia and Edith Doris Concepcion, mother of Joseph Quinata, filed a libel and slander lawsuit in July against Apuron and the Archdiocese of Agana, seeking a total of $2 million in damages, according to Pacific Daily News files.

The four are represented by attorney David J. Lujan.

In their applications, Evangelist and McNamara designated attorney Jeffrey Cook to act as local counsel in the case. Cook, of the law firm Cunliffe & Cook, was also retained to represent Hon.

Apuron, meanwhile, is represented by attorney Jacqueline Terlaje, according to Pacific Daily News files.

Apuron has not been criminally charged for the sexual assaults alleged to have happened about 40 years ago.

The civil lawsuit accuses Apuron and the church of making defamatory statements against the four accusers, despite knowing there was a history of sexual abuse by priests in the archdiocese, files state.

Quintanilla, Denton and Sondia accused Apuron of sexually assaulting them when they were altar boys in Agat. Concepcion accused Apuron of molesting her son, now dead, when he was an altar boy.

With McNamara's and Evangelist's applications submitted, it will be up to the court to decide if they will be allowed to practice temporarily in Guam for this case, according to government regulations.

While McNamara has not practiced in Guam temporarily before, Evangelist stated she was admitted temporarily to practice in Guam a 2010 civil case, David J. Lujan and Anna B. Lujan v. Calvo Fisher and Jacob LLP, according to court documents.

Evangelist stated, in that case, the court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims.

Contact: jstole@guampdn.com