LOS ANGELES (CA)
NBC Southern California
[with video]
By Samantha Tata and Kim Baldonado
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2013
As the Catholic Church’s top clergyman select a new pope, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles elected to settle four clergy sex abuse cases involving a defrocked priest who was convicted of molestation in 2007, an attorney for the church announced on Tuesday.
The $9.99 million settlement involves cases of alleged abuse by former priest Michael Baker, according to church attorney J. Michael Hennigan.
Baker was convicted of molesting a boy in 2007. Two of the latest plaintiffs are that boy’s brothers.
Two of the now-settled cases were set to go to trial soon, and a judge had said attorneys for the alleged victims could also pursue punitive damages, considered to be punishment against the defendant.
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