The Associated Press reports that attorneys for the Rev. Michael Tierney and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph requested thousands of pages of records and e-mails from SNAP because they suspect the alleged victim's lawyers leaked information to SNAP. On Monday the state Supreme Court chose not to intervene on SNAP's behalf. But the group's director, David Clohessy, told the AP that he will fight to keep the organization's records private.
Tierney is facing five lawsuits from people alleging abuse. Jackson County Judge Ann Mesle ordered SNAP to hand over the documents, saying Clohessy "almost certainly has knowledge concerning issues relevant to this litigation." SNAP is now required to hand over all records related to Tierney and his diocese, priests currently or formerly associated with the diocese, communication with the unnamed man who filed the suit, and anything related to repressed memory.
Clohessy told the AP that unloading all the records would make others claiming to be abuse victims vulnerable. "We're going to continue to do everything we possibly can to protect the victims, witnesses, whistleblowers, journalists, police, prosecutors and concerned Catholics," he told the AP. "We are proud and determined to not be transparent about the identities and e-mails of deeply wounded people who seek our help." He called the attorneys' request for the documents a "bullying effort."
The development appears to have elevated the contentious war of words between SNAP and church supporters. The Catholic League, a New York-based group that calls itself a "Catholic civil rights organization," has publicly attacked SNAP in the past. In early December, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said it attempted to spend $25,000 to place an anti-SNAP advertisement in The Kansas City Star, but the paper refused to print it. The ad railed against SNAP and said of the group, "Their goal is not justice. Nor is it child welfare. Their goal is to sabotage the Catholic Church."
On Tuesday, Donohue went after the group and Clohessy for vowing to fight the judge's ruling. In a statement titled "SNAP Honcho in a Snit," posted to the group's website, Donohue said, "Clohessy never tires of lecturing the Catholic Church on the need for transparency, yet when he is in the hot seat, he rebels." He added, "Talk about turning the tables! What a great way to start the new year."
On its website, SNAP calls the defense's plan a "cruel attack" and notes that the organization is not named in the lawsuit.
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I am a SNAP leader in San Francisco, and I can tell you first hand that the Catholic Church Hierarchy, especially Cardinal Levada , who is the key man at the Vatican in charge of clergy abuse cases; are corrupt, callous, pedophile protectors. I prove this because the Pastor who raped me was kept in ministry with kids by Levada while I was engaged in a vicious lawsuit with the church. The litigation lasted 5 years, and I won, all the while the Pope and Levada allowed the sex abuser who molested to flourish unpunished. The hierarchy lied, deceived, and covered up their uingodly tactics for years.
The church lawyers are unconscionable money mongers who ironically not only bleed the church, they have no feelings for the innocent victims, no remorse, and their function is to attack on command for the money. They now attack SNAP, and other child abuse victims advocates, and also attack the sex abuse victims themselves; to slow down more abuse victims from coming forward.
This latest tactic of the sociopathic lawyers and the church isn't about justice, it's about damage control, and shutting down sex abuse victims.
Joey Piscitelli
For the moment the Roman Catholic "church" appears to have gained the legal advantage, but unarguably at the same time, they have managed to defeat their slick, well-orchestrated PR campaign designed to convince the public they have reformed and remain locked in their self-destruct mode. The ignoble course they have embarked upon will ensure they continue to endure the universal contempt, scorn, derision and disdain being meted out to them and reserved for those who commit and cover up the abominable act of child abuse. It will also ensure the loss of more of their not so faithful flock, along with their contributions . . that which they value above all else!
I would invite those following this discussion to consider the timely thoughts of Joey Piscitelli, Clergy Abuse Victim & SNAP Volunteer Director . .
“So as the Catholic church once again shows its contempt for those who support and advocate for clergy sex abuse victims, the world watches, and victims continue to come forward in countries all over the planet. And as the world watches the Catholic church pay billions of dollars in court settlements, losses, and restitution, and spend additional billions in attorneys fees, we shake our heads in amazement at the irony; the largest, richest church in the world, who claims to represent god himself, is also the most corrupt, vindictive, and unremorseful “religious” organization on the planet.”
- Joey Piscitelli – 1-3-2012
Read more here: Source: Voice from the Desert / Link: http://reform-network.net/?p=14434
StevenSpaner,
Thank you for your sharing your precise and thoughtful analysis of these matters and for putting them in their proper perspective. You have very concisely assessed the situation and in so doing have exposed the real and sinister motive that underpins this most recent hostile maneuver on the part of the Roman Catholic "church" and her operatives to protect their assets, intimidate the victims, gag the media, and silence their critics. Resorting to such transparent bullying tactics once again reveals their moral bankruptcy. RIGHT-thinking people are not fooled!
The question remains . . as you have so rightly pointed out . . . "If the defense attorneys suspect that the plaintiff's attorney leaked information from the hearing, the LOGICAL AND PROPER person and party to subpoena is the PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY. Right?"
In solidarity with the VICTIMS of Roman Catholic Clergy Abuse & their Advocates,
JuneAnnette
Steven, I do not agree with the concept of keeping the victim's identity private. I know firsthand that a big part of the healing process is for the abused to confront their abuser.
Father Stephen K. Muth maintained his innocence and mounted a vigorous defense, and Randles and her client got their butts handed to them in court, yet SNAP still maintains Muth's guilt. Tierney vigorously maintains his innocence. I say let Tierney have his day in court, and let him have a vigorous defense. If you are worried about the jury being influenced, SNAP and the Star have already taken care of that.
Ken W and KillTheMall let's walk through this event and look at the facts. A law suit has been filed by a person accusing a priest of sexually abusing them when they were a child. The judge hearing this case put a gag order on the plaintiff, defendant, and their attorneys after a preliminary hearing to prevent biasing the ultimate jury pool.
Let's not bother with the outlandish elitism of Judge Mesle that she believes that KC citizens are INCAPABLE of hearing the evidence presented by the plaintiff and defendant in court and making a logically reasoned assessment and correct conclusion despite any reporting in the press or out of court statements by the attorneys.
Let's go to the fact that the gag was on the plaintiff, defendant, and their attorneys. How does SNAP come into this gag? The defendant's attorneys have leapfrogged over the accused gag violator. Why? Could it be that they KNOW there was no violation of the gag but they knew the judge would play the shill and allow them to make a totally unrelated and onerous request of SNAP. Have you seen or heard what is supposed to have been leaked by the plaintiff's attorney to SNAP? No, I didn't think so. Neither have I. If the defense attorneys suspect that the plaintiff's attorney leaked information from the hearing, the LOGICAL AND PROPER person and party to subpoena is the PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY. Right?
Why haven't they? Because this is not about violating a gag order, it is about intimidating victims, victim advocates, the press, and all organizations who assist persons who have been sexually attacked and shield those victims from further abuse by keeping their identity private. The church claims confidentiality over the confessional; SNAP and other organizations dealing with victims have the same social and moral obligation.
Let's not forget that Tierney is facing FIVE lawsuits from people alleging abuse. This is a case about a potential child sexual predator. This is not a case of Jackson County Judge Ann Mesle's suspicion that Clohessy "almost certainly has knowledge concerning issues relevant to this litigation." You and I have knowledge concerning issues relevant to this litigation if we read the papers and online articles. Should we be slapped with an omnibus subpoena for all our emails, electronic and paper documents that we have accumulated over the past 23 years? That's what the attorneys for the Rev. Michael Tierney and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph have requested; thousands of pages of records and e-mails from SNAP because they SUSPECT the alleged victim's lawyers leaked information to SNAP. SNAP was required to hand over all records related to Tierney and his diocese, priests currently or formerly associated with the diocese, communication with the unnamed man who filed the suit, and anything related to repressed memory. This is using a tsunami force wave in the guise of a fishing expedition. This is a gross miscarriage of the justice system ... and Michael Tierney and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph know it.
Australia.... don't give up... we/you are just getting started..
Bullying and intimidating..will not stop us... Victims know their truth... that is what you have... ! THE TRUTH..
Keep in mind, you are not alone, and the truth will prevail..
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy.
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
If it were not for SNAP I would not have had the courage to continue. Here in Australia, it's ok to be an abuser if you have friends in high places.
Judy, in this country, all accused have the right to a vigorous defense. You are on record as saying they do have the legal right but they do not have the moral right. You are SOOOOO wrong on this, and I will have -0- respect for your organization until you recant that.
Hey Judy, if the alleged victim's attorney passed information to SNAP then by LAW the defendent and his attorney has the RIGHT to request, recieve and review such information. They also have the RIGHT, by LAW, to introduce any information gleaned from those files as evidence in support of their case. The cornerstone of our legal system is that a defendent has the RIGHT to face AND question their accusers.
So if this attorney did indeed pass information to SNAP then the correct person to blame is THEM and NOT the defendent. The defendent has the right to have those files as evidenced by the Supreme Court refusing to even get involved.
You got the records, the court ordered them to be handed over so HAND THEM OVER.
Is it possible that child predators, church officials, and their lawyers are using any possible desperate tactic to:
-- shut down SNAP
-- intimidate child sex abuse victims,witnesses, and whistleblowers to keep quiet
-- keep crimes of cover up and enabling child predators from being exposed
-- keep those who commit these crimes from being held accountable or jailed
-- protect child predators
-- makes parents and parishioners believe their child protection policy works
-- stop the media (their biggest fear) from reporting on this subject
-- keep the full ugly truth from being known
Victims who suffer from child sex abuse, you have more power than you sometimes believe. You are the ones who know the truth and you can help to stop this horrific abuse of power. We/SNAP are not stopping, and hopefully those who have knowledge, suspect, witnessed, or have been harmed will continue to speak up and contact the police.
Keep in mind your silence only hurts, and by speaking up there is a chance for healing, exposing the truth, and therefore protecting others.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy.
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
There is a small but steadily increasing trickle of genuine abuse survivors who recognize SNAP for what it is: a trial lawyer's caseload farming system, and for what SNAP is not: a victim's advocacy group.
SNAP will not ever let a priest vigorously defend his innocence, they will shamelessly proclaim any accused priest's guilt before even the first legal brief is filed. SNAP will, by their own admission, maintain and insist upon the guilt of ANY accused priest, regardless of the veracity of the accusation, and even when an accused priest is proven to be innocent.
SNAP in it's current form is a sham, and any true victims that aligns themselves with SNAP will remain a victim, and even become a "professional victim". I have and will continue to issue this challenge to SNAP: when will you fire your scandalous publicists and disassociate yourselves from the greedy trial lawyers, and return SNAP back to it's honorable roots?
I would like to see how many of the cases SNAP claims to have of sexual abuse by priests are actually based on alleged repressed memories. RM have by and large been discredited with a relative few, but very vocal, True Believers still supporting the theory. It might even come out that some of the allegedly abused children claimed repressed memories initially but later switched their claim to continuous memories to escape the discredited theory of RM. While I am no particular fan of the Catholic church they have every right to defend themselves against spurious claims based on repressed memories.
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