Kentucky Supreme Court Will Not Review Appeal of Priest Convicted of Sexual Abuse

ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

August 26, 2019

A priest in Kentucky who was convicted of sexual abuse had his hopes for an appeal shot down yesterday as the Kentucky Supreme Court declined to hear his case. We are grateful for this outcome and hope it brings closure and healing to his victims.

Fr. Joseph Hemmerle was convicted in 2016 for sexually abusing a child in Meade County. He appealed his conviction by arguing that the court had not proven his intent. Fortunately, the jurors on the Kentucky Supreme Court did not buy his argument and Fr. Hemmerle will remain in jail until at least February, 2020 when he is eligible for parole.

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