MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
[Order – Granting or Denying Mandamus Prohibition ]
[Timeline of efforts to have Winona’s list released ]
By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 03/05/2014
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected an attempt by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis to prevent the deposition of Archbishop John Nienstedt and a former top deputy.
The court refused to consider an appeal by the archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona that sought to halt discovery in the case of John Doe 1, a man who alleged sexual abuse by former priest Thomas Adamson, according to an order filed Wednesday by Chief Judge Edward J. Cleary.
Ramsey County District Judge John Van de North had ruled in the case that the church agencies must turn over names of priests accused of sexual abuse of minors since 2004. And Van de North ordered the depositions of Nienstedt and Kevin McDonough should go forward.
But church officials balked at those orders, saying among other things that Van de North may have exceeded his authority.
“Our read of this (order) and the language in it is that they have ruled that we are able to move forward with discovery … that the trial court was right,” said plaintiff’s attorney Jeff Anderson.
Anderson said the deposition of Nienstedt is now scheduled for April 2; that of McDonough is set for April 16. The location has not yet been determined, he said.
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