PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philly.com
by Jeremy Roebuck, STAFF WRITER.
A Pennsylvania court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Msgr. William Lynn, the central defendant in the landmark 2012 trial involving clergy sex-abuse in Philadelphia.
In a 43-page opinion, the Superior Court panel found that the Philadelphia judge who presided over the case abused her discretion “by admitting a high volume of unfairly prejudicial other-acts evidence.”
“In our view, it had nothing whatsoever to do with Msgr. Lynn and the allegations against him,” said Thomas A. Bergstrom, lawyer for the 64-year-old Lynn. “I’m pleased with the court’s recognition of that.”
District Attorney Seth Williams could decide to appeal Tuesday’s decision to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court or accept the lower court’s ruling and prepare for a new trial.
A spokesman for Williams’ office said the District Attorney had not yet reviewed the opinion. In a statement, he said:
“The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting all the citizens of Philadelphia against crimes of violence such as those committed by Msgr. Lynn.”
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