SAN DIEGO (CA)
U-T San Diego
Written by
Greg Moran
SAN DIEGO — A Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty on Friday to a misdemeanor charge that he groped a woman in December did so only to put the case behind him and spare the community a trial, his lawyer said Monday.
The Rev. Jose Alexis Davila, 53, was placed on three years’ probation, fined $200, and ordered to do 150 hours of community service. He was also ordered to stay away from the now 20-year-old woman who initially complained that he had groped her when she visited his home on Dec. 30.
Earll Pott, one of Davila’s lawyers, said Monday that the priest entered his plea under a legal provision that allows someone to plead guilty, even though the person does not admit to the truth of the charges.
The plea has the same force and effect as a standard guilty plea, according to the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.