KANSAS CITY (MO)
National Catholic Reporter
[SNAP Director files response to motion to compel]
Apr. 17, 2012
By Joshua J. McElwee
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lawyers’ attempts to force the director of a national clergy abuse support group to submit to a second deposition and turn over more internal documents is “simply an attempt to harass” the organization, leadership of the group has said in a court filing.
David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, was forced to give a deposition Jan. 2 in the case of a Kansas City priest accused of child sexual abuse, the first time a SNAP leader has been forced to testify. Seven lawyers deposed Clohessy for six hours, and he turned over documents in two of eight requested categories.
Two months ago, the defense lawyers asked the court to compel Clohessy to testify again and to hand over more documents from SNAP’s 23 years of records, correspondence and email. That filing also alleged that Missouri confidentiality protections for rape crisis centers should not cover the group.
SNAP’s response, which was filed with the court April 6 and posted to its website last week, refutes the latter claims and says any more attempts to depose Clohessy would amount to a “true fishing expedition.”
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