New Jersey Supreme Court allows grand jury investigation into clergy abuse allegations
The New Jersey Supreme Court has permitted a grand jury examination into allegations of sexual abuse against children by clergy members in the Catholic Church. This ruling came after the Diocese of Camden attempted to block such an investigation initiated by the state attorney general. The decision allows the inquiry into abuse claims that have surfaced as the 1940s,a move prompted by a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report revealing widespread abuse. Camden Bishop Joseph Williams has stated that the diocese will no longer contest the investigation,despite previous concerns from church lawyers about the implications of pursuing a grand jury. Recent unsealed documents indicated that New Jersey’s investigation had received numerous abuse reports, and the Camden diocese has faced significant financial consequences, including a bankruptcy filing and a significant payout for abuse claims.
New Jersey Supreme Court allows grand jury investigation into clergy abuse allegations
The highest court in New Jersey ruled that a grand jury should be permitted to examine sexual abuse allegations of children against clergy members in the Catholic Church.
The Supreme Court ruling comes after the Diocese of Camden attempted to block the state attorney general’s efforts to create a grand jury two years ago. The 2023 ruling, which found that a grand jury can’t be used to investigate issues of a person’s private conduct, was in favor of the Diocese of Camden and was sealed.
“The purposes for which the state seeks to use this grand jury would be fundamentally unfair to so many living and dead who would be forever accused in a document released by the court but to whom the court gave no opportunity to defend,” state Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw wrote.
Warshaw’s ruling was later upheld by an appeals court, but the attorney general’s office appealed it to the state Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on April 28.
Camden Bishop Joseph Williams, who became the leader of the diocese in March, said he recently spoke with key members of the church and there was a unanimous decision to stop fighting the grand jury investigation.
But lawyers of the diocese argued that a pursuit of a grand jury would be an attack on the Catholic Church, saying that state investigators can still pursue criminal charges and victims can still seek civil penalties.
“The goal here is obviously to condemn the Catholic Church and priests and bishops,” Lloyd Levenson, the church’s attorney, said.
It was also argued that a grand jury wasn’t necessary due to a 2002 memorandum of understanding between the dioceses in New Jersey and the prosecutors, mandating that church officials report all abuse to authorities. In 2019, New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses shared a list of more than 180 priests who’ve faced credible accusations of sexual abuse.
New Jersey’s Attorney General’s office was prompted to investigate the Catholic Church following a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report that found that more than 1,000 children had been abused since the 1940s.
WHY EVEN LAWFUL DEPORTATIONS ARE BEING SHOT DOWN IN COURT
Documents from New Jersey’s investigation became unsealed in March, revealing that the task force had uncovered that a state-run hotline had received 550 calls reporting abuse dating from the 1940s to more recent years. No specific allegations have been waged in the task’s force report.
The Camden diocese filed for bankruptcy following more than 55 lawsuits. In 2022, the diocese reached a deal to pay $87.5 million to around 300 individuals who said they were abused by clergy, marking it as one of the biggest financial payouts ever made by the Catholic Church in the U.S.
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