Judge: No parish funds to pay abuse claims until courts resolve issue

Published: 2006-03-13

PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- A U.S. bankruptcy judge in Portland has indicated she will not permit sex abuse plaintiffs to be paid from parish property before the issue of parish ownership has been resolved in the courts. Judge Elizabeth Perris, who is hearing the Archdiocese of Portland bankruptcy case, also opened the door in her Feb. 28 ruling for capping the estimated amount the archdiocese will need to pay all claims. "This is one of the most encouraging rulings we have received," said Thomas Stilley, lead bankruptcy attorney for the archdiocese. The committee for those claiming sex abuse had proposed a plan that would have trials proceed, with judgments paid as the trials are concluded on a case-by-case basis, tapping into parish and school property when needed. Perris, acknowledging that many unresolved issues remain regarding the parish and school property, was skeptical of the ability of the Tort Claimants' Committee, a group representing abuse victims, to implement such a plan.

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