Settlement in Bishop Finn Lawsuit May 15, 2013

(AP) – A settlement is reached in a lawsuit against the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Bishop Robert Finn over a priest’s child porn case, hours after a federal judge dismissed one of two civil counts.

The suit was filed by a victim who was 2 years old when the Rev. Shawn Ratigan took lewd pictures of her in May 2006. He pleaded guilty in August to a charge of taking pornographic pictures of the girl and awaits sentencing.

One of the girl’s attorneys, Gregg Meyers in St. Paul, Minn., told The Associated Press on Wednesday before it was officially announced that the remaining count was settled late Tuesday afternoon for $600,000. The deal still must be approved by a judge.

Prosecutor Asks to Have Finn Case Split, Wants to Add Another Count, Asks for Broad Document Search Dating Back Years May 7, 2012

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker is asking changes in the misdemeanor charge against Kansas City Catholic Bishop Robert Finn.
He is facing one count of failing to report suspected child abuse in the case against one of Finn’s priests, Fr,. Shawn Ratigan. Ratigan is facing state and federal child abuse counts.
Baker’s office wants the one against Finn count split into two, covering different time periods.
Now the case centers around activity from December 17,2010 to May 18, 20110.
Baker wants that time divided.
If granted, one charge would cover the period from December 2010 to February 10, 2011. The second charge would cover time from February 11 through May 18, 2011.
The prosecutor’s office is also making the same request on the charges facing the Kansas City catholic Diocese, which is also facing similar charges.
In a news release Baker is quoted as saying “This is the best approach going into trial”.
Finn’s trial is set for September 24, 2012.
Baker’s office has also filed a request for discovery to look at church documents that may be involved in the case.
It is a wide-ranging request.
Prosecutors want information and any and all document dealing with potential child abuse problems in the Diocese dating back to May, 2004. That is years before the Ratigan scandal emerged.
Included in their request any “secret archive files established under Canon 489 or any other rule, doctrine or code under civil or canon authority”.
prosecutor also want detailed charts of the Diocese’s organization and the personnel records of several people believed to be past or present church employees.
A constant critic of the catholic Chuerch, Survivor’s network for those Abuses by Priests (SNAP) says the people named in the discovery request are priests who have had problems in the past.
“We also applaud Baker for seeking more information on these credibly accused pedophile priests: Fr. John Basket, Fr. Thomas Cronin, Fr. Mark Honhart, Fr. Earl Johnson, Fr. James Lawbaugh, Fr. Stephen Muth, Fr. Thomas Parrott, Fr. Bede Parry, Fr. Michael Tierney and Fr. Anthony Pileggi,” said SNAP’s Outreach Director Barbara Dorris

Prosecutor Baker Praises Finn Ruling, Even Though Court Opinion Includes Set Backs April 5, 2012

Jackson. County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker was pleased to learn of the ruling in the Bishop Finn case today (see previous post).
A Jackson County Judge ruled the misdemeanor case, accusing the leader of the Kansas City, Missouri Catholic Church Bishop Robert Finn, of failing to promptly report suspected child abuse to state authorities.
The charges stem from the child abuse indictments against one of Finn’s priests, Fr. Shawn Ratigan.
“We were pleased to read Judge Torrence’s ruling today. Our office will continue to prepare diligently for trial in this case," Baker stated in a news release.
While the Prosecutor’s office won the main points of the hearing, Judge Torrance rules against Baker’s office on a couple of points.
One included the use of subpoena power after the charge has been filed
Baker’s office says they will be able to proceed despite the setback.
The Prosecutor’s office says the Finn case is scheduled for trial September 24, 2012.

Judge Orders Trial Against Bishop Finn to Proceed, Denies Finn Bid to Drop the Case April 5, 2012

A Jackson County judge has ruled decisively against Kansas City Catholic Bishop Robert Finn’s effort to have his
misdemeanor charge thrown out of court.
Judge John Torrence ruled against the bishop’s claim the law he is accused of violating is too vague.
Finn us facing one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse immediately to the state. The charges are connected to the priest abuse scandal of Father Shawn Ratigan. Ratigan is facing a a series of federal and state child abuse charges. He is a priest in the Kansas City diocese over which Finn presides
State law requires mandated reporters to immediately report ant potential or suspected child abuse to state authorities.
Finn’s lawyers argued the law was vague and that Finn was not to the designated mandated reporter.
Judge Torrance disagreed.
He wrote the state law us not vague.
"Person of ordinary intelligence gave no difficulty understanding the meaning of ‘immediately report’".
Judge Torrence also ruled Bishop Finn did have an obligation to alert authorities of problems with Father Ratigan.
"The court funds the evidence in thus case us sufficient. to allow a jury to conclude that Bishop Finn was a designated reporter as defined in Missouri law."
"We are pleased that the case against Bishop Finn will move forward. This is the first time that a Bishop has faced criminal charges for his role in a cover-up, and we are hopeful that the full truth will come out in a trial", said the director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( SNAP).
Developing.

Judge Rules Against Bishop Finn’s Bid to Have Charge Dismissed April 5, 2012

A Jackson County Court Judge has denied a motion to dismiss a misdemeanor charge against Kansas City Catholic Bishop Robert Finn.
That means the case against Finn, accused of failing to properly report a potential abuse situation, will proceed. Developing.