Diocesan Lawyers All of a Sudden Uppity

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Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main

October 3, 2007 1:04 PM

Permalink | Comments (6)

For decades, the Catholic Diocese of Orange has dealt with survivors of its pedo-priests in secrecy--sealed settlements, claimed ignorance, and always, always, away from a jury. In none of the civil settlements that the Orange diocese signed off on were there any admission of guilt by the priest or diocesan lay employee charged with molestation.

That's what makes the current strategy by longtime diocesan lawyer Peter Callahan so bizarre. Callahan has represented the Orange diocese on almost all sex abuse cases since the 1990s, including Orange County's most notorious pedophiles, Eleuterio Ramos and Michael Harris. The current case before Callahan and Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown is that of Jeff Andrade, the Mater Dei boys' basketball coach who admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old student during the mid-1990s. Depositions have been going on for almost a year, and the Orange diocese has suffered many a black eye as a result. Yet Callahan is telling the press he relishes taking on Andrade's victim in court. In September, he told Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit he was "quite prepared to discuss (the incident) in front of a jury" and that Andrade's victim "cho[se] to enter into a relationship." Earlier this week, he described a motion by plaintiff's lawyer John Manly to hold Bishop Brown in contempt for allowing Monsignor John Urell to skedaddle to Canada as a "stall technique" and that "Brown was eager to get to trial."

"The plaintiffs want to beat up the bishop in the newspaper and we would prefer that the trial take place in a court of law, with a jury," Callahan told the Associated Press. "Urell knows nothing about this particular matter, so I think this is all a stall technique."

Let's review the case: Andrade ADMITTED TO HAVING SEX WITH A 15-YEAR-OLD. Statutory rape IS AGAINST THE LAW. Read that again. And again. With feeling. Petey: will you summon the ghost of Joe Cavallo to defend a STATUTORY RAPIST? Good luck with that--actually, I take that back.

Comments (6)

Mexico No More says:
October 3, 2007 16:27

Peter Callahand,
When you go home at night you have to think about putting good church peoples children at risk by your spins. Direction for you Pete!

STOP!!!!!!

Pete,
We see the truth and will let the world know! You’re off base thinking you will be able to control the out come with your spins. You are on the wrong foot in your thinking. No one can get away with this type of spin since the Michael Jackson circus. Things have changed and we see into your old fashioned ploy. Your approach is sick as it is placing more children at risk. Enough spinning of the facts sir. The money you’re using will be cut off as soon.

Debby Bodkin says:
October 3, 2007 17:58

TO THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE LEGAL TEAM AND GENERAL COUNSEL:

You NEVER tried a sex abuse case in a court of law because you were allowed to settle with millions of dollars with intent to silence your adversaries. Those days are gone!

You PROJECT to OC communities that you are living the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church but yet, continue to obstruct justice, defame litigation adversaries, commit perjury under oath and intimidate any one seeking justice in a court of law. YOU ARE A DISGRACE!

You will NEVER destroy Jane Doe's efforts to seek justice in a court of law! You may try but you will FAIL!

Jane Doe will NEVER walk alone in her fight for justice. You have never witnessed the power of prayer until now.

If you choose to commit perjury while under oath, that will be your choice to reckon with. .

When you TWIST facts and evidence, Jane Doe's attorneys will NOT abandon her like so many opposing attorneys you have succeeded in buying off or terrorizing to drop a lawsuit.

You paid Jeff Andrade $100,000 to drop his civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Orange, BUT there are still many missing pieces in that deceitful decision.

Children in OC will be safe from sexual predators employed by the Diocese of Orange whether you intimidate, threaten or abuse the judicial system. Jane Doe and many other victims of sex abuse will NEVER walk alone again!!!!!

You are a disgrace to the legal profession!

Truth Seeker says:
October 3, 2007 20:34

If the OC District Attorney's office had filed criminal charges against Jeffrey Andrade when Jane Doe made the initial report, the Diocese of Orange would not have a chance in defending this lawsuit.

This is not the first time the OC District Attorney's office has ignored failures to report sex crimes, sex crimes
t, obstructions of justice, perjury and legal conflicts of interests. Yet, the DA has no problem prosecuting attorneys who have challenged prosecutions presented by the DA for petty crimes that fall far below society's responsibility to protect children.

Publius says:
October 3, 2007 22:25

Did Joe Cavallo die? Or do you refer to the figurative ghost?

Gustavo Arellano says:
October 4, 2007 07:59

The day Cavallo's body gives out, you can expect Moxley to pen the obituaries of obituaries. That time, alas, hasn't happened.

Who's sorry now! says:
October 5, 2007 22:39

This is the darkest day for the catholics Church. No matter how much money that the Church uses to destain this scandal the damage is done to the faithful. For the lack of better word, this saga is almost like incest and the children are taken their parents to court to seek justice. This event has shaken alot of the faithful whether to trust or not to trust. Don't put your faith in the man of cloth whether he's a Pope, Cardinal, Bishop or Priest because "The road to hell is full of light posts of Pope, Cardinal, Bishop and Priest." Wake Up!

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