Court drops contempt-of-court citation against Orange bishop

Published: 2007-12-04

ORANGE, Calif. (CNS) -- An Orange County Superior Court judge has dropped a contempt-of-court citation filed against Bishop Tod D. Brown of Orange by attorneys for abuse victims. According to a statement posted on the Orange Diocese's Web site, the charge was dropped Nov. 20. The action came after the diocese and plaintiffs' attorneys finalized a settlement in four civil lawsuits against the diocese. "Removal of the contempt-of-court citation came after plaintiffs' counsel signed formal dismissal papers. Removal of the citation was not a prerequisite for settlement," the statement noted. The citation had alleged that the bishop sent Msgr. John Urell, pastor of St. Norbert Parish in Orange and former vicar general of the diocese, to a residential treatment facility in Canada as a legal tactic to keep him from testifying in abuse cases. "The recommendation to place Msgr. Urell in a residential treatment facility was made by Msgr. Urell himself, his doctors, his family and close friends and the diocesan vicar for priests," the diocese said. No allegations of sexual abuse have been made against Msgr. Urell, who reportedly broke down after giving six hours of depositions to attorneys for the victims.

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