MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio
Tim Nelson St. Paul, Minn. Oct 17, 2014
After nearly a year of investigation into clergy misconduct in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, prosecutors say they still aren’t ready to file any criminal charges against priests or church officials.
Seven of 10 criminal cases tied to clergy sex abuse are now closed, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said Friday.
Four cases of alleged priest misconduct were not formally presented by police for charging while three were declined for prosecution based on the statute of limitations, Choi said.
Investigations continue on the ones that are open, including a case involving Archbishop John Nienstedt, he added.
Choi said the decisions not to charge those cases, reached earlier this month, represent only an initial phase of work by his office.
But he defended the decisions authorities have made so far, including the decision not to present the cases to a Ramsey County grand jury and the decision not to seek any search warrants that would open church archives — legal tools common in criminal matters, particularly in high profile and controversial cases.
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