GUAM
Pacific Daily News
Haidee V Eugenio , heugenio@guampdn.com May 2, 2017
While Guam clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed in federal court still need to resolve jurisdiction matters before moving forward, the lawsuits filed in local court continue to deal with judge recusals.
Judges have recused themselves from 12 of 13clergy sex abuse lawsuits filed in local court from March through April. Seven of eight Superior Court of Guam judges filed disqualification notices related to 12 lawsuits as of April 26, documents from the Judiciary of Guam show.
The recusals stem from conflict or potential conflict of interest, mainly because of the judges’ relationships with either the plaintiffs or the defendants.
The plaintiffs include former altar boys and former Boy Scouts who allege they were sexually abused by priests. The defendants include the Archdiocese of Agana and its clergy, the Boy Scouts of America and the Capuchin Franciscans.
In some cases, the judges cited ties to several members of the Neocatechumenal Way, such as Judge Anita A. Sukola, or the Concerned Catholics of Guam, in the case of Judge Vernon Perez.
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