PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
[Trial Narrative and Resources – BishopAccountability.org]
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writer
The guilty verdict against Msgr. William J. Lynn – the first time a Catholic church supervisor has been found criminally liable for child-sex crimes by a priest – concluded one of the most unusual prosecutions in the history of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
It took nine years, two grand juries, and changes in Pennsylvania law.
And it made odd partners of former District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham and successor Seth Williams, whose relationship soured when Williams, a former Abraham prosecutor, challenged her in the 2005 Democratic primary.
Ironically, both prosecutors had to fend off criticism over their religions.
Abraham was criticized because she is Jewish and was investigating the Catholic Church; Williams, campaigning for election in 2009, defended himself against suggestions he would go easy on the church because he is an active Catholic.
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