SNAP ordered to turn over documentation in abuse lawsuit

MISSOURI
Pitch

Posted by Ben Palosaari on Tue, Jan 3, 2012

Catholic dioceses and priests accused by people alleging they were abused as children earned a legal victory Monday when the Missouri Supreme Court let stand a judge’s decision to force Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) to turn over documentation to defense lawyers in a civil case accusing a St. Joseph priest of abuse.

The Associated Press reports that attorneys for the Rev. Michael Tierney and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph requested thousands of pages of records and e-mails from SNAP because they suspect the alleged victim’s lawyers leaked information to SNAP. On Monday the state Supreme Court chose not to intervene on SNAP’s behalf. But the group’s director, David Clohessy, told the AP that he will fight to keep the organization’s records private.

Tierney is facing five lawsuits from people alleging abuse. Jackson County Judge Ann Mesle ordered SNAP to hand over the documents, saying Clohessy “almost certainly has knowledge concerning issues relevant to this litigation.” SNAP is now required to hand over all records related to Tierney and his diocese, priests currently or formerly associated with the diocese, communication with the unnamed man who filed the suit, and anything related to repressed memory.

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