Local court judge postpones further action in $2M libel suit, in clergy abuse cases

GUAM
Pacific Daily News

Haidee V Eugenio, heugenio@guampdn.com Aug. 9, 2017

Further action on clergy sex abuse cases filed in the Superior Court of Guam, as well as a libel suit filed against Archbishop Anthony Apuron in Superior Court, has been delayed until at least Sept. 12 because of pending settlement talks.

Superior Court Judge Michael J. Bordallo Wednesday morning held a status hearing for 20 clergy sex abuse cases and the $2 million libel and and slander lawsuit filed by former altar boys against Apuron and the Archdiocese of Agana.

Bordallo during the hearing ordered a temporary stay on the libel case and abuse cases until an agreement has been reached on the mediation process for the nearly 100 abuse cases pending in local and federal court. The church had requested the stay.

Apuron’s counsel, Jacqueline Terlaje, told Bordallo that Apuron’s motion to dismiss the defamation case had been filed about a year ago.

Terlaje said Apuron is not participating in the mediation process at this time.

“On the defamation suit, what our grounds are, is that every person has the right to assert their innocence; that they cannot be sued in defamation simply by asserting their innocence,” Apuron’s counsel said after the status conference. “The court has ordered a temporary stay. 30 days is not going to be a huge delay in the matter and I am pleased with that, the court has an interest in moving the case forward.”

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