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New Testimony Sheds Light on Abuse Cover-ups by Mahony

Mahony ordered church officials to delay reporting sex abuse to police until the abusive priest could be defrocked, according to Monsignor Loomis, a former high-ranking official within the Catholic Church. Msgr. Loomis’ testimony was well received by Attorney John C. Manly and his client, Luis C. But the testimony also wasn’t surprising. The abuser in… read more

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Mahony Under Investigation; Convicted Sex Offender Asked to Testify

Cardinal Roger Mahony is being investigated for his actions regarding the sexual abuse of parishioners of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. This investigation is focused on the procedures and methods used, by Mahony and other leaders of the Catholic Church, in dealing with allegations of abuse and abusive priests. According to Father Baker, a recently convicted… read more

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Lawsuit Alleges that Mahony Failed to Properly Respond to Sexual Abuse Claims

Attorneys from Manly, Stewart & Finaldi filed a suit alleging that Cardinal Mahony and the Catholic Diocese improperly responded to, and interfered with, evidence of sexual abuse within the Church. The complaint questions the transfer of Fr. Lopez from Italy given his history as a sexual abuser, and the complaint goes on to question his… read more

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A Letter from Attorney John Manly

John recently received a letter from a past client/abuse survivor letting him know that the OC Board of Supervisors planned to allow known sexual abuser and cover-up artist Lawrence Baird to give the invocation for an upcoming meeting. In the letter, John points out that this isn’t the first time the OC Board of Sups… read more

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New Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Former Basketball Coach, Mater Dei, Diocese of Orange

Our attorneys (on behalf of our client, an alleged victim of childhood sexual molestation) filed a second sex abuse lawsuit against a former Mater Dei High School basketball coach, the school and the Diocese of Orange. The suit alleges that Jeffrey Andrade, ex-coach at the school and a self-admitted molester(During a sworn deposition in 2007,… read more

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Father Baker Pleads Guilty; is Sentenced to 10+ Years

After pleading guilty to the molestation of two parishioners, both of which were minors at the time of the incidents, Fr. Michael Baker was sentenced to more than ten years and prison, ordered to pay mental health costs for one of the victims, and required to register as a sex offender upon being released. Fr…. read more

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Mixed Emotions Expressed Regarding Settlement

Monica Almeida/The New York Times Cardinal Mahony apologized to the victims of clergy sexual abuse today, saying that he hoped the Church’s recent settlement for a record-breaking $660 million would bring a “final resolution” to the survivors. For abuse survivor Anthony Almeida (one of the 508 victims represented in the case), this settlement, and Mahony’s… read more

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Sex Abuse Victim Looks to Brighter Future

Monica Almeida/The New York Times Cardinal Mahony apologized to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the LA Archdiocese When Anthony Almeida, one of 500 sexual abuse victims in a recent lawsuit against the Catholic Church, was a young boy, he was continually molested and then raped by a trusted local priest. Almeida, a… read more

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Priests’ Privacy Rights Cannot Override Protection of Children

[See Judge Lichtman’s order. On the Franciscans at St. Anthony’s Seminary, see also 11 Friars Molested Seminary Students, Church Inquiry Says, by Seth Mydans, New York Times (December 1, 1993); Sex ‘Vibes’ Permeated Seminary, Victim Says, by Seth Mydans, New York Times (December 1, 1993); The St. Anthony’s Seminary Report, by Geoffrey B. Stearns et… read more

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On Behalf of Victim, Manly, Stewart & Finaldi Files Complaint for Acts of Misconduct by Father Michael Stephen Baker

Father Michael Baker, a notorious sexual abuser of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, faces accusations of childhood sexual abuse of a young male parishioner pursuant to a complaint filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles. https://www.ocregister.com/2007/01/04/another-molestation-case-against-priest/

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