Court to get priest suits

LOS ANGELES (CA)
The Press-Enterprise
CHURCH: The Inland diocese praises a plan to have a single judge hear several counties’ cases.

05/31/2003
STAFF and WIRE REPORTS
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

All sexual-misconduct cases against Southern California priests will be handled by a single judge in Los Angeles, an LA County judge has ruled.

The ruling is a half-victory for the Diocese of San Bernardino, which had petitioned the court to consolidate cases but wanted them heard in San Diego.

That’s because most of the cases pending against the Inland diocese allege misconduct that would have occurred when Inland churches were still under the authority of the Diocese of San Diego, said Wil Lemann, the attorney representing the Inland diocese.

“I think it’s very effective to consolidate cases for just a whole host of reasons,” Lemann said when contacted by phone. “It’s more efficient, and it’s more equitable to all the parties. The flip side is when you move it far away from where witnesses are, the parties are, the lawyers are, that also affects their efficiency.”