tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post7710052937620127167..comments2023-10-22T09:32:13.417-04:00Comments on Big Trial | Philadelphia Trial Blog: Judge Worried About Monsignor Hiding Out At VaticanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04116104602505815614noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-21592595917651761032012-07-02T14:05:12.200-04:002012-07-02T14:05:12.200-04:00All remember Cardinal Law of Boston.he ended up wi...All remember Cardinal Law of Boston.<br>he ended up with a cushy rent free apt in the Vatican.<br>He was not a felon, but they sure got him out of Boston fast enough.dianedphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01671669779210554828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-41799038331629956902012-07-01T12:54:35.176-04:002012-07-01T12:54:35.176-04:00Genuine rape of any human being, and especially of...Genuine rape of any human being, and especially of a child, is reprehensible and always and everywhere to be addressed robustly by law enforcement and prosecutors.<br> <br>But rape is not at issue in the Charges against these Defendants. And, for that matter, it is numerically one of the least-alleged crimes formally reported against priests. And while there remains the Correct assertion of ‘under-reporting’, that purported reality has never been established but merely presumed through comparison of formally-reported allegations and ‘surveys’ (which as stand-alone evidentiary sources enjoy almost zero actual scientific credibility).<br> <br>Presently, we must now also deal with the (deliberately?) confusing reality that the definition of ‘rape’ is being expanded to include actions that – repugnant and perhaps criminal in themselves – do not correspond to any commonly-understood definition of actual rape. Thus the recently-successful effort to have almost all sex-assaults reported by police agencies to the FBI under the Uniform Reporting mandate classified as ‘rape’.<br> <br>This slyly has not reached the point of having legislatures actually re-define the formal elements of rape for prosecution purposes, but for media purposes the term ‘rape’ now has to be assessed carefully by the public. (In the far more malleable (and vulnerable) military justice system, where Congress can change matters almost by fiat, the actual re-jiggering of the criminal elements has now proceeded much further.)<br> <br>Once again, I am under the strong impression that many people are conflating the Charges in this particular case with their concerns (to put it politely) about ‘rape’ among clerics generally.<br><br>Which does nothing to keep matters clear, and – I would say – has contributed to the angry befuddlement of many who vigorously supported this case under the inaccurate assumption that these Defendants were merely clear-cut examples of the ‘rape’ and ‘culture of rape’ that they (want to) believe is rife in the Church.Pertinaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407357930254142688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-11412435537713293512012-06-28T16:37:11.424-04:002012-06-28T16:37:11.424-04:00Child rape is what it was Josie. There's no ge...Child rape is what it was Josie. There's no getting around that.jim robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021237370520134041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-75992704565049373452012-06-28T09:59:51.092-04:002012-06-28T09:59:51.092-04:00How can you hide a man in a dress?...... Send him ...How can you hide a man in a dress?...... Send him to the Vatican.jim robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021237370520134041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-50345770439520690692012-06-28T02:36:51.720-04:002012-06-28T02:36:51.720-04:00Mr. Neil Allen/Patrick O'Malley...why not offe...Mr. Neil Allen/Patrick O'Malley...why not offer something else other than the words child rape over and over...you mislead in all of your comments with rudeness and distorted statistics. You are not from Philadelphia, you know little about the law and obviously have no keen eye into what occurred at this trial. We have a pride here in our city, we respect those who have contributed to our society. Why not let people give their expert take on the trial on this informative forum.josie baileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12314012467023147844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-18564805192014615252012-06-28T02:03:43.037-04:002012-06-28T02:03:43.037-04:00Kay: This is one time that I'm going to disagr...Kay: This is one time that I'm going to disagree with you. I think this is a big victory in so far that at least someone, close to the Hierarchy got indicted, tried and convicted of endangering children. I would have been a lot happier if the "Conspiracy" charges had stuck, but I think that the next time it needs to be defined, beforehand, differently, so the jury understands exactly what it means. I went to a Dutch website in Belgium today, and it had posted an article on the implications of Lynn's conviction for the people of Europe!!!!!!!! Yes! They are encouraged, as are the Canadians, that it will be possible in the future to bring charges against those who covered for Pedophile Priests and shuffled them from parish to parish! It was a small victory, but never-the-less, it was still a victory against Goliath! I encourage you, "Only Believe. With God ALL Things Are Possible!"jeannieguzman1http://jeannieguzman1.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-53614211862142263372012-06-28T01:41:18.936-04:002012-06-28T01:41:18.936-04:00Wow! That was pwerful, and written by someone wh...Wow! That was pwerful, and written by someone who truly understands the law! Thank you for your generousity of spirit for commenting on Ralph's blog. And thank you again, to Ralph, for creating, updating and maintainling the blog - the best and only source of information regarding the Trial.Archie Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435380304418813367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-50183791603092514672012-06-28T00:16:34.277-04:002012-06-28T00:16:34.277-04:00I concur with Mr. Cipriano and with Attorney Fiora...I concur with Mr. Cipriano and with Attorney Fioravanti.<br> <br>And I strongly second Attorney Fioravanti’s concern over fair-trials and due-process. If the ultimate purpose of a trial is to secure the best legally achievable truth and justice, then the prosecutor succeeds no matter what the outcome. And the People are well served.<br> <br>In the past 30 or so years it is precisely that fundamental principle and that overriding objective that have been lost. The prosecutor (and thus the Sovereign coercive/police authority) have become seen as avengers, rather than as truth-seekers according to the first-principles of Law.<br> <br>Thus, prosecutors must now avenge, and – as is so often said in so many areas of activity these days – ‘by any means necessary’.<br> <br>Which in this case resulted in what has to be seen as a weirdly cobbled-together case (which Mr. Cipriano has dissected acutely in other reports on this site) with flaws so extraordinary as the ex-post-facto vulnerability (Lynn is charged under a revision of the applicable statute that was not enacted until after the actions for which he was charged) and grandstanding behaviors so egregious.<br> <br>All of which tickles the fancy of persons who want to see Law ‘weaponized’ in order to achieve their preferred outcomes and objectives, but profoundly corrodes (and, I would say, corrupts) all of the practitioners involved in it. The Law is deliberate and careful for a very good reason: so that the Sovereign authority is not misapplied and its authority and even legitimacy ultimately undermined.<br> <br>Attorney Blessington was seconded from the AG’s Office to oversee an anti-corruption unit in a city with a “culture of corruption”, as the DA said last June (2011). It would be interesting to know what other investigations and trials have been developed under Attorney Blessington’s aegis.<br> <br>And while I originally envisioned him as being a rather young attorney and perhaps influenced by an in-your-face approach to ‘perps’ that they might be teaching in law school these days (thus the rather raucous behavior in the courtroom), he was admitted to the Bar almost 30 years ago, in 1983 – so youthful eagerness and inexperience aren’t the source of the histrionics.Pertinaxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15407357930254142688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-77925544600582182302012-06-27T18:37:03.319-04:002012-06-27T18:37:03.319-04:00Geez, the guy had the balls to sign his name. I al...Geez, the guy had the balls to sign his name. I also think he raises some good points. Look, the concept of a fair trial is a big deal for everybody, and I've written a lot about the problems I've seen with this case, and this judge. I'm frankly disturbed by what I've seen so far in this case, and you all should know I'm no fan of the archdiocese. Hey Joe, great stuff!Ralph Ciprianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12188557653424544411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-51122905643428628302012-06-27T17:50:25.475-04:002012-06-27T17:50:25.475-04:00Thanks. I was trying to figure out why Blessington...Thanks. I was trying to figure out why Blessington was showing up on the AG's roles and not on the DA's roles.<br><br>I'm old enough to remember abscamMackerelSnapperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17307718559235940739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-57395272557820549382012-06-27T17:43:09.268-04:002012-06-27T17:43:09.268-04:00You have completely lost your way.Lynn absolutely,...You have completely lost your way.<br><br>Lynn absolutely, positively hid known child rapists since 1994. He is in jail. That is justice. All of his co-conspirators and child rapists should also be in jail, but they aren't due to poorly written laws.<br><br>Now let's talk about what you've learned in life:<br><br>- if there is a way to get away with a crime because laws were poorly written, use it to help the criminals<br>- don't mistreat the pedophile protector (although you make no mention of the mistreatment of children that were anally raped by the priests he protected)<br>- it is not justice when a proven protector of child rapists goes to jail, despite $11 million in legal fees which tried to expose flaws in the laws<br><br>Hopefully, you ar eout of the system, and future generations can focus on justice instead of what you focused your life on.neilallen76http://www.blogger.com/profile/04966954580793318142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-39787550894954925262012-06-27T12:14:12.938-04:002012-06-27T12:14:12.938-04:00Dear Mr. Cipriano,My name is Joe Fioravanti. I wa...Dear Mr. Cipriano,<br><br>My name is Joe Fioravanti. I was with the U.S. Attorney's Office years ago and was the First Assistant for a short period of time. You may remember my name as the prosecutor of the Philadelphia version of the Abscam case. It is my claim to fame for the old people who remember it. <br><br>I have never responded to a blog before, but I couldn't resist responding to this one. I know Tom Bergstrom quite well from the days when we served together in the U.S. Attorney's Office. I actually went to the courtroom and watched the opening statements and the closing speeches. While there, through Tom Bergstrom, I met Monsignor Lynn. <br><br>Having heard the closing speeches, including the disjointed, bizarre speech of the prosecutor, I came to the conclusion that Lynn could not possibly be guilty of this offense. I understand that he is being made to answer for the Catholic church at a time when the Catholic church is in understandable disfavor. But it doesn't mean that he should be convicted for the alleged negligent omissions which the statute under which he was charged does not punish. If he is to remain in prison pending a successful appeal of this nuanced, but clear, legal issue, what will the prosecutor and the trial court say to him after he has served 18 months or more awaiting the appellate outcome?<br><br>Lynn's mistreatment at the hands of the prosecutor and the court is troubling. Not only do I feel very sorry for Monsignor Lynn, with all that he has gone through, but I grieve for the death of one's right to a fair trial.<br><br>I remember, in the early days of joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1973, one of the first things we were taught was that the prosecution always wins, no matter what the verdict, as justice is done. That has not occurred in this case. Perhaps the Office of the District Attorney, and its borrowed prosecutor from the Attorney General's Office, need to read the Berger case, in which the Supreme Court embodied the concept of prosecutorial fairness and judicial restraint of prosecutorial misconduct.Joseph Fioravantihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898069942731196561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-11669076464260702022012-06-27T11:46:42.434-04:002012-06-27T11:46:42.434-04:00is this legal charade really necessary.had the leg...is this legal charade really necessary.had the legal system done their duty decades ago we would not be witnessing the monumental acts of depravity and deceit.what is so difficult about justice that it needs to be drawn out where people suffer and are abused.maximum sentence in jail.can you grasp being a child abused by a cleric ,traumatized to the point of a hospital stay.only to have the same deviant walk in as a chaplain.Carlos Abreuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06023980175501312230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-74943204085344914192012-06-27T11:06:12.329-04:002012-06-27T11:06:12.329-04:00I woke up at 5 this morn and could not stop thinki...I woke up at 5 this morn and could not stop thinking about this and had to share this…….<br><br>I know for fact that it was Bill Brennan who mentioned to the Judge that Msgr did not have a passport after Blessington was done screaming about the Vatican. NOT Jeff Lindy. This should be very easy to confirm if we request a copy of the court transcript from the argument re: his bail. Most of the press was locked out during this argument so they would not have heard these arguments and the comment about Msgr not having a passport. However, Ralph you were there at that time as I lent you my pen.<br><br>Important reasons for sharing-<br>1- It shows that Sarmina & Blessington were wrong and misspoke and need accurate facts.<br>2- That Jeff Lindy was not lying but could have been so upset and in his own head that he doesn’t realize that it was Brennan who stated Msgr didn’t have a passport. Therefore, Lindy is not the liar.<br>3- You do not want Blessington to put it in his sentencing memo that Lindy lied – lie lie lie. When in fact it was Brennan who stated this.<br>4- Brennan who didn’t represent Msgr but who spoke first on his behalf – misspoke re: the passport and therefore it was not a lie. (However, I believe Bill Brennan did not have accurate info and was not lying and had Msgr’s interest at heart.)<br><br>I could not just let this go, I do not want to see Blessington blast defense counsel as further liars. His attacks (the few I sat thru) were hard to accept and digest. I want the best for Msgr and quite frankly am very tired of Blessington’s horrible scary outbursts and his mouth.<br><br>Please someone out there request the court transcript for Friday, June 22nd. Allow Sarmina and Blessington to apologize in front of the Court to Jeff Lindy.Pattighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09771838781573443503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-55539143373226137562012-06-27T10:21:53.945-04:002012-06-27T10:21:53.945-04:00Here's the scam folks. "The brave victims...Here's the scam folks. <br>"The brave victims' voices, who are now survivors, were heard. they deserve to not be afraid anymore and see real justice."<br> A, Our voices are now survivors ???? (i know she meant the victims are now survivors but still) Now we're not victims but survivors.? Did the justice fairy (Barbra Blaine?) wave her magic wand and like caterpillers we morphed into butterflies (survivors)<br> B, heard by who and how many discorporated voices were heard?<br> C, Who the fuck's "afraid"? We are constantly being portrayed as Church mice cowering, by SNAP. I was afraid enough when I thought my perp would kill me.( I'll never be afraid of a pouty faced Church official, scoulding me.)<br> D.The language is always exactly the same. Victims are always pitiable, frightened weak. When in fact our very existence has had more effect on the Catholic Church than anything other than the Protestant Reformation.<br><br>I'm writing what i write here because SNAP, like the Wizard of Oz, want's us to ignore the Church behind SNAP's curtain.jim robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021237370520134041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-34393940538743586792012-06-27T09:27:53.546-04:002012-06-27T09:27:53.546-04:00Ralph Cipriano wrote: "The prosecutor has re...Ralph Cipriano wrote: "The prosecutor has repeatedly slammed ... the monsignor's defense lawyers as pampered, overpaid and whiny crybabies always trying to pull some last-minute maneuver to delay justice for their corrupt client." <br><br>That describes church attorneys in every city in the USA. <br><br>Okay, I feel a need to say this. <br><br>The prosecutors indicted and tried the wrong person. Lynn is just one small cog in a huge wheel, and it bothers me that because of this trial, other prosecutors won't go after the real criminals: the bishops who crafted and enforced the policy of covering up these crimes. <br><br>I see Lynn as a scapegoat, whose conviction on one count will prevent real justice from ever happening. Of course, I'm not in Philadelphia and due to my job, can't read all the coverage of the trial. <br><br>But as one of the pedophile priest victims who experienced last minute tricks by Chicago Archdiocese defense (i.e., corporate) lawyers in my own case, I feel really defeated from what I've been able to read about this trial. I don't see this as a great victory for survivors, or a precedent that will lead to more trials like this in other cities. I think this trial will discourage other prosecutors from filing charges. <br><br>The bishops got away with it again.Kay Ebelinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13753284586265566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-61011614895808406062012-06-26T23:28:55.554-04:002012-06-26T23:28:55.554-04:00After Lynn serves his time and gets out of jail, t...After Lynn serves his time and gets out of jail, then what? Will he be re-instated as a priest in good standing and given a parish in the Archdiocese of Philly? Will his salary be paid while he is in prison, by the good people of Philly, who paid millions of dollars for his defense? In the bishops' "Zero Tolerance Policy," they thoughtfully neglected to mention if they would also have a "Zero Tolerance Policy" for those who covered up for Pedophile Priests. Maybe these are questions, which should be posed to Archbishop Chaput?JeannieGuzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04822849361330012598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-46220487528257649142012-06-26T23:01:48.410-04:002012-06-26T23:01:48.410-04:00Bill Lynn successfully evaded justice for his deed...Bill Lynn successfully evaded justice for his deeds of endangering children for years, prior to his conviction. He should have been brought to trial much sooner, but due to the delay tactics of the Roman Catholic Church, he wasn't. Now, it's time to pay the piper! Lynn has shown absolutely no remorse, and I hope that this fact isn't lost on the judge, when it comes time for her to sentence Lynn. From another article which I read today, there is a possibility that Lynn will also need to stand trial in a civil lawsuit. In that event, given that Lynn will have a taste of jail by then, I would bet a box of chocolate covered doughnuts that Lynn will "Spill the Beans" on other criminal activity within the Archdiocese. He's not going to want to stay in jail any longer than he needs to!JeannieGuzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04822849361330012598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-90808225395785271142012-06-26T22:18:37.406-04:002012-06-26T22:18:37.406-04:00Who's going to send the strong message to the ...Who's going to send the strong message to the Church leaders Judy, Daffy Duck? Thhhhhay I got a tellygram for u Church leaders. It's from the ACME company. It thesssssssss: Stop hurting kids won't you please or will have another demonst.....Justh wait one minute here. Another demonstration leading to what exactly?<br> Calm yourself Daffy no one's been able to make rhyme nor reason around SNAP demos. I guess it's because it looks like SNAP demos are what victims want. When it's only meant to appear to be what victims want. According to SNAP who never asks victims what they want anyway.jim robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11021237370520134041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-3843326578968028292012-06-26T22:03:33.335-04:002012-06-26T22:03:33.335-04:00In my opinion Lynn is a very high flight risk, par...In my opinion Lynn is a very high flight risk, particularly in the direction of the Vatican, which I don't believe for a moment would extradite him back to the USA if Lynn ever reached their sacred 110 square acres. After WWII the Vatican was famous for "The Ratline," also known by the CIA as "Operation Odessa!" The Vatican was directly responsible for spiriting Nazi and Fascist leaders like Ante Pavelic, the Butcher of Yugoslavia, out of Europe and into South America. The Ratline was well-greased with Nazi Gold. If the Vatican could get the biggest criminals out of Europe in WWII, getting Lynn out of the USA would be a piece of cake, ankle-bracelet and all! I would like to quote from Wikipedia on the Raline: "[Bishop] Hudal used this position to aid the escape of wanted Nazi war criminals, including Franz Stangl, commanding officer of Treblinka, Gustav Wagner, commanding officer of Sobibor, Alois Brunner, responsible for the Drancy internment camp near Paris and in charge of deportations in Slovakia to German concentration camps, and Adolf Eichmann[10] If the Vatican could get the biggest Nazi criminals out of Europe after WWII, getting Lynn out of the USA would be a piece of cake, ankle-bracelet and all!JeannieGuzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04822849361330012598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-75068533414078656812012-06-26T21:14:25.056-04:002012-06-26T21:14:25.056-04:00I remember the news stories after 2002 and after 2...I remember the news stories after 2002 and after 2005 about accused priests getting out of Dodge and being given shelter in the headquarters of different religious orders in Rome. This is NOT out of Dan Brown. And apart from that, I think that Bill Lynn earned this jail time. This is not a routine white collar crime in which a defendant without a previous record embezzled or otherwise broke the law. This is a crime in which a child was grievously endangered by what I would characterize as the depraved indifference of a cleric who still seems to believe he was doing what God wanted him to do. And his history points to many other children who were also endangered in the same manner.Mollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14668220537522709553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-69547384731711006132012-06-26T20:43:16.884-04:002012-06-26T20:43:16.884-04:00"Now he's had a taste of jail," Bles..."Now he's had a taste of jail," Blessington said. "He knows what jail is like." Therefore, the chances are increased that if he's put on house arrest, the monsignor will saw through that ankle bracelet, and make a break for it, the prosecutor said."--<br><br>He's right, priests are used to living in well provided comfy places and adored. Msgr Lynn needs to be kept in jail. He is a criminal and should not be given any special privileges. Does anyone remember where Cardinal Law is now living?<br><br>The big reason that so many innocent children have been sexually abused by clerics and their crimes are covered up by priests, bishops, and cardinals, is because these men have been held with such high esteem. They are known to have the reputation that a holy priest can do no wrong. <br>A strong message needs to be sent to all church leaders that they can no longer protect the child predators instead of protecting the kids, otherwise they will land in jail, just like any other human being.<br><br>The brave victims' voices, who are now survivors, were heard, They deserve to not be afraid anymore and to see real justice. And yes, Lynn is a flight risk. It has happened many times.<br><br>Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511. snapjudy@gmail.com,<br>(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,)JudyJoneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11620799355111141596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-90842176716528355482012-06-26T20:36:30.460-04:002012-06-26T20:36:30.460-04:00Flee to the Vatican! how silly.. wait.. where is V...Flee to the Vatican! how silly.. wait.. where is Vatican citizen Law?friscoeddiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739379257797112867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-79405513345601149152012-06-26T19:56:16.310-04:002012-06-26T19:56:16.310-04:00Wow! This particular installment had me laughing o...Wow! This particular installment had me laughing out loud! The caricatures that you paint of the Judge and the Prosecutor are hilarious! <br><br>I hope they're reading your blog, Ralph...keep up the superior writing and reporting!Archie Francishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01435380304418813367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8876661997317409023.post-39203252495692382002012-06-26T18:42:50.452-04:002012-06-26T18:42:50.452-04:00How crazy is Blessington and for the judge to go a...How crazy is Blessington and for the judge to go along with his scenarios, she's a piece of work. They watched the DaVinci Code too many times.e7778fbc-bd4f-11e1-8128-000bcdcb8a73https://openid.aol.com/opaque/e7778fbc-bd4f-11e1-8128-000bcdcb8a73noreply@blogger.com