PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The issue of whether former priest Edward V. Avery would return to Courtroom 304 in a jump suit was argued again in court Tuesday, and the judge decided to keep all options open.
Avery is the defrocked archdiocese priest who pleaded guilty on the eve of the archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial to charges of conspiracy to endanger children, and the rape of a 10-year-old boy. The jury in the case was never told why Avery suddenly disappeared from the defense table.
On Wednesday, the former altar boy that Avery raped is scheduled to appear in court as a witness. He’s going to tell his story of abuse, and then the defense lawyers in the case will have to decide how hard to go after the witness in cross-examination.
As it stands now, the former altar boy poses all the risks of a suicide bomber. If the defense decides to aggressively challenge the witness’s credibility, Judge M. Teresa Sarmina may grant the prosecution permission to tell the jury about Avery’s guilty plea.
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