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  Phoenix Men in Settlement
The Two Will Get Part of $100 Million Awarded to 90 Plaintiffs in a California Diocese Case

By Sheryl Kornman
Tucson Citizen [Tucson AZ]
January 4, 2005

Two Phoenix clients of Tucson lawyer Lynne Cadigan will share in the $100 million settlement awarded to 90 plaintiffs who sued the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in Orange County, Calif.

Cadigan said the clients were abused as boys by a priest from the diocese who was on loan to the Diocese of Los Angeles and had served the church in Phoenix.

Cadigan would not disclose the amount her clients will receive, saying it is small compared with what some of the other 88 plaintiffs will receive.

The amount of the settlement reached Dec. 2 was made public yesterday when a California judge lifted a gag order.

Cadigan said the Orange County Diocese paid $50 million of the settlement from an investment account. She said insurers paid $50 million of the settlement.

Cadigan has eight clients with pending sexual misconduct cases against the Diocese of Los Angeles.

She said the Orange County settlement sets a precedent "for what Los Angeles will have to do to settle those cases."

The Roman Catholic Diocese in Tucson filed for Chapter 11 U.S. Bankruptcy Court protection last year to resolve claims of sexual misconduct by its clergy.

At least 22 lawsuits had been filed when Chapter 11 papers were filed.

An unknown number of claimants are seeking monetary damages from the Tucson diocese, citing sexual misconduct by priests and others.

A 2002 settlement with the Tucson diocese of sex misconduct cases that was handled by Cadigan and lawyer Kim Williamson totaled an estimated $15 million.

 
 

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