High court declines to stop subpoena of archdiocesan records

Published: 2006-04-17

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Supreme Court declined to get involved in prosecutors' efforts to subpoena confidential counseling records of the Los Angeles Archdiocese that deal with how accused child sexual abusers were treated. Without comment, the court April 17 turned down an archdiocesan appeal of a ruling by a California Superior Court that allowed the Los Angeles district attorney to subpoena records from the archdiocese. The records sought included letters written by, among others, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, members of the archdiocesan staff and several priests who were under investigation for child molestation, as well as the details of counseling for those priests. A statement from the archdiocese said the court's action was disappointing, and noted that it allows the release of 21 pages of information in 14 documents to the district attorney. "We accept the court's ruling," the statement said, adding that it would have no effect on the ongoing efforts to settle civil suits related to sexual abuse cases through mediation.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .