Defense Motions for a Mistrial in John Feit Murder Trial, Judge to Rule Wednesday Morning

710 KURV News Talk
December 5, 2017

http://www.kurv.com/defense-motions-for-a-mistrial-in-john-feit-murder-trial-judge-to-rule-wednesday-morning/

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Defense attorneys have filed a motion for a mistrial in the murder trial of former McAllen priest John Feit, claiming a prosecution witness violated an agreement to not mention the polygraph tests given to the defendant.

The polygraph mention came Tuesday afternoon as prosecutors were questioning Richard Sipe, a former monk who has written books about sexual abuse among Catholic priests. Judge Luis Singleterry dismissed the jury early and said he will rule on the mistrial motion prior to the start of the trial Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors spent the day showing how the Catholic Church often attempted to hide the actions of bad priests, and before Sipe, they called to the stand another author who has investigated and written about sexual abuse by priests.

Thomas Doyle told jurors about church efforts to cover up crimes by troubled priests by entering into unofficial agreements with local law enforcers that would allow local church leaders to simply move the priest out of the parish in order to avoid tarnishing the image of the church.

Doyle testified he believed that’s what happened to cover up the murder of Irene Garza, believed to have been committed Easter weekend of 1960 by John Feit who was a visiting priest at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen. Jurors will return for a fifth day of testimony Wednesday.