MISSOURI
St. Louis Review

By Joseph Kenny | jkenny@archstl.org | twitter: @josephkenny2

A jury in Lincoln County took little time April 6 to find in favor of both Father Xiu Hui “Joseph” Jiang and the Archdiocese of St. Louis in a civil lawsuit that alleged the priest had sexual contact with a 16-year-old girl in 2012. In the trial, the plaintiff sought more than $1 million in compensatory damages. The jury began deliberations just past 1 p.m. and returned the verdict just before 3 p.m.

A statement from the archdiocese reported that “the archdiocese and Father Jiang have steadfastly denied these allegations since they were first raised and are pleased with the jury’s decision.”

In closing arguments, Jerry Carmody, an attorney for Father Jiang, detailed dozens of reasons why the jury should dismiss the allegations. First, he said, Father Jiang, a native of Shandong, China, could have returned to…