PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina began the day by reversing herself.
On Thursday, the judge instructed the jury that Monsignor William J. Lynn did not have to act with criminal intent in order to be found guilty of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children.
On Friday, the judge said that Msgr. Lynn did have to act with criminal intent in order to be found guilty of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children.
Confused? Obviously, so are the jurors, who finished their ninth day of deliberations without reaching a verdict.
On Friday, the judge gave a complicated set of jury instructions that laid out the conditions for finding Msgr. Lynn guilty of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children.
In order to find Lynn guilty, according to the judge, the jury would have to:
— Find that the monsignor intended to promote or facilitate the committing of the crime of endangering the welfare of children.
— Find that “Lynn intended to act jointly” with other conspirators so that “a crime would be committed,” namely endangering the welfare of children.
— Find that Lynn and other conspirators had to know that their conduct would result in the danger of harm to children.
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