MILWAUKEE (WI)
National Catholic Reporter

by Marie Rohde | Feb. 22, 2013

Milwaukee —
A handful of the sexual abuse survivors who filed claims against the Milwaukee archdiocese in federal bankruptcy court will go to trial as test cases to determine how many of the 574 who say they were assaulted are eligible for damages. To date, lawyers for the archdiocese have challenged more than 400 of the claims, saying they should be dismissed.

The decision came in a hearing that was the latest development in the 25-month bankruptcy case and occurred as the archdiocese warned it would run out of money to fully fund its operations by April.

In addition to the dispute over which victims would be eligible for damages, the church has become embroiled in an argument with lawyers for the claimants who say the church is hiding millions of dollars from the court.

In…