Clergy Sex Abuse Cases Moving Forward in Federal Court
By Haidee V Eugenio
U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Joaquin V.E. Manibusan Jr. on Tuesday vacated his April order temporary halting the filing of briefs in clergy sex abuses lawsuits. Manibusan set August deadlines to file motions on 11 of 66 clergy sex abuse cases filed so far in federal court. A hearing on those cases is set for August 29 at 9:30 a.m. The 11 cases are among those the judge earlier expressed concerns over diversity jurisdiction — whether the federal court can entertain the cases because they involve citizens of different states. They include lawsuits that accuse Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of raping and sexually abusing Agat altar boys; the former altar boys now live in Hawaii and Arizona. They also include lawsuits filed by plaintiffs living outside of Guam that accuse Louis Brouillard, a former priest and Boy Scouts of America scoutmaster who lives in Minnesota, as well as former priest David Anderson, defrocked priest Raymond Cepeda, and former priest Joe R. San Agustin, also known as Andrew San Agustin. At Tuesday's status hearing, Manibusan gave attorney David Lujan, counsel for all the plaintiffs who filed in federal court, until Aug. 1 to file a motion on the defendants' motion to dismiss the 11 cases. Manibusan also gave counsels for the defendants until Aug. 15 to file their response. Eleven clergy sex abuse cases will move forward while parties in other cases try to settle them out of court. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Joaquin V.E. Manibusan Jr. on Tuesday vacated his April order temporary halting the filing of briefs in clergy sex abuses lawsuits. Manibusan set August deadlines to file motions on 11 of 66 clergy sex abuse cases filed so far in federal court. A hearing on those cases is set for August 29 at 9:30 a.m. The 11 cases are among those the judge earlier expressed concerns over diversity jurisdiction — whether the federal court can entertain the cases because they involve citizens of different states. They include lawsuits that accuse Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of raping and sexually abusing Agat altar boys; the former altar boys now live in Hawaii and Arizona. They also include lawsuits filed by plaintiffs living outside of Guam that accuse Louis Brouillard, a former priest and Boy Scouts of America scoutmaster who lives in Minnesota, as well as former priest David Anderson, defrocked priest Raymond Cepeda, and former priest Joe R. San Agustin, also known as Andrew San Agustin. At Tuesday's status hearing, Manibusan gave attorney David Lujan, counsel for all the plaintiffs who filed in federal court, until Aug. 1 to file a motion on the defendants' motion to dismiss the 11 cases. Manibusan also gave counsels for the defendants until Aug. 15 to file their response. heugenio@guampdn.com
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