PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Digital Journal
[Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. William J. Lynn, Edward V. Avery, and James J. Brennan – BishopAccountability.org]
By Yukio Strachan
Philadelphia- No top U.S. official of the Roman Catholic Church has been ever criminally convicted for child endangerment –– until now.
After 13 days of deliberations, a Philadelphia jury of seven men and five women found Monsignor William Lynn guilty on Friday (June 22) of one count of endangering the welfare of a child and acquitted of two other counts — one of conspiracy and a second endangerment charge.
The Washington Post writes that lead prosecutor Patrick Blessington, seemed angry at Lynn’s acquittals. So he wasted no time in asking that the priest be taken right to custody.
The 61-year-old Lynn, face reddened but stoic, slipped off his black clerical jacket before deputy sheriffs led him out of the courtroom and into custody, his family members weeping, Reuters said.
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