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  Catholic Diocese Sex-Abuse Suits Are Halted
A Pittsburgh-Area Judge Is Delaying Proceedings until a Court Rules on the Statute of Limitations

Associated Press, carried in Philadelphia Inquirer [Pittsburgh PA]
May 26, 2005

PITTSBURGH - A judge has halted proceedings in nearly three dozen sex-abuse lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh until the state Supreme Court issues an opinion regarding Pennsylvania's statute of limitations.

Allegheny County Judge R. Stanton Wettick Jr. did not rule on the diocese's request to dismiss the 35 sex-abuse cases, but last week did grant the diocese's request to halt the proceedings.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs objected to the stay because it allows the diocese to not turn over records related to the cases.

A panel of Superior Court judges ruled in March that Pennsylvania's two-year statute of limitations on personal-injury lawsuits generally prohibits people allegedly molested by clergy decades ago from suing now.

The ruling applied only to claims filed by 18 plaintiffs against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, but some diocesan lawyers said they believed it set out a standard that will apply to most of the suits pending against other dioceses across the state.

Attorneys for the Philadelphia plaintiffs appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

 
 

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