CALIFORNIA
Calaveras Enterprise
Posted on July 10, 2012
by James DeHaven
Former San Andreas priest Michael Kelly faces renewed sex abuse allegations this week after Stockton attorney John Manly confirmed he will press ahead with litigation on behalf of several new clients.
An untold number of accusers have come forward to police and attorneys across three counties after a civil trial against Kelly ended in a $3.75 million verdict last April.
That trial saw Kelly barred from the ministry after the jury found him personally liable for abusing a former altar boy. A criminal case against Kelly was dismissed due to the statute of limitations.
Kelly, who maintains his innocence, fled to Ireland as the civil case was coming to an end, citing stress-related health issues for his departure just days before scheduled liability proceedings against his former diocese.
Manly said he was personally approached by nearly a dozen ex-parishioners and others in recent months, including two from Calaveras County.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.