APPLETON (WI)
Post-Crescent
[with video]
Written by
Jim Collar
Post-Crescent staff writer
APPLETON — A judge could rule as soon as today on whether to order a retrial in the civil fraud verdict against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, which claims a juror was biased against the church.
Outagamie County Judge Nancy Krueger heard a variety of arguments Tuesday from the diocese as it tries to overturn a $700,000 jury award given in May to two childhood victims of clergy sexual abuse. Brothers Todd and Troy Merryfield filed the lawsuit in 2008.
A jury deliberated for about five hours in May before returning a verdict in the Merryfields’ favor. The diocese is asking for the civil fraud case to be dismissed, the jury’s findings to be overturned or a new trial.
Krueger told attorneys she planned to rule on the bias issue in the next two days. She didn’t set a timetable for rulings on the remaining diocesan arguments.
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