MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio
Madeleine Baran St. Paul, Minn. Feb 14, 2014
Lawyers for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona are seeking to block the depositions of Archbishop John Nienstedt and two other priests and halt the ordered release of the names of priests accused of child sexual abuse since 2004.
In a memorandum filed in Ramsey County District Court late yesterday, the archdiocese argued that the disclosure of the names of the priests, even under court seal, would cause “irreparable harm to the Archdiocese and its clergy.” It said it plans to appeal the judge’s order.
Attorneys for the Diocese of Winona similarly argued that the disclosure of the names “would constitute irreparable and irreversible prejudice” and plans to appeal.
The filings signal a more aggressive legal approach by church officials. Attorneys from three law firms drafted the court filings, and they seek to block all of the judge’s orders this week.
Ramsey County Judge John Van de North had ordered the depositions of Nienstedt, former top deputy Kevin McDonough and the Rev. John Brown, a priest accused of child sexual abuse, within 30 days, at a hearing on Tuesday. He also ordered church officials to turn over the names of priests accused since 2004 to the court under seal by Feb. 18, 2014. The orders were part of a case brought by a man who alleged he was sexually abused in 1976 and 1977 by the Rev. Thomas Adamson.
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