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| The alleged victim |
for Bigtrial.net
A lawyer for convicted child rapist Bernard Shero is seeking a new trial based on "newly discovered evidence" of contradictory and false statements made by alleged victim "Billy Doe" to his many drug counselors.
Doe, now 25, is the former 10-year-old altar boy who claimed at two historic Philadelphia sex abuse trials that he was raped by two priests as well as Shero, a former Catholic school teacher. It was Doe's testimony that also sent Msgr. William J. Lynn to jail for 18 months before an appeals court overturned Lynn's conviction.
The "newly discovered evidence" surfaced during a civil case that Doe has filed against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Doe, a former drug addict who used marijuana, magic mushrooms, pills, LSD and heroin, has been treated at 23 drug rehabs. He's also been arrested a half-dozen times, including one bust, subsequently dismissed, for possession with intent to distribute 56 bags of heroin. In the civil case, Billy Doe is seeking money from the archdiocese and a host of other defendants for alleged damage to his mental health. So a judge in the civil case has ordered the defendant's lawyers to turn over Billy Doe's medical records from his various drug rehabs.
What did defense lawyers discover when they got a look at those records? That Billy Doe, previously known for making wildly varying allegations to authorities, told his drug counselors four different stories in just one year about allegedly being abused. And none of those stories Billy told his drug counselors match the story he told two Philadelphia juries about being raped by two priests and a school teacher.
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| The District Attorney's Star Witness |
Shero was convicted on Jan. 30, 2013 by a jury of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of a minor, and indecent assault. The alleged victim of all that abuse was Billy Doe. On June 12, 2013, Judge Ellen Ceisler sentenced Shero to 8 to 16 years in prison.
In the 52-page brief, the most explosive new details are in the last few pages, where Rose made his request for a remand and a new trial, based on the newly discovered evidence contained in Doe's medical records.
It's amazing that we know anything about Billy Doe's medical records. Defense lawyers in the criminal case tried to get those medical records, but on July 29, 2011, Common Pleas Court Judge Lillian Ransom denied their request.
Defense lawyers in the civil case also tried to get those medical records. The Philadelphia district attorney's office, however, in an unusual move, sent a letter in support of a motion to stay the civil case of Billy Doe v. the Archdiocese of Philadelphia until the criminal case was over.
On Nov. 2, 2011, Common Pleas Court Judge William Manfredi complied by staying all discovery in the civil case until June 30, 2012. The underlying reason for the stay was that prosecutors didn't want any documents turned over in the civil case that might benefit defense attorneys in the criminal case.
Billy Doe was the district attorney's star witness at two criminal trials, which sent a monsignor, two priests and a Catholic school teacher to jail When the criminal cases ended, the stay in the civil case was lifted. A judge finally ordered Billy Doe's defense lawyers to turn over the medical records from the drug rehabs.
All the lawyers in the case, however, entered into a voluntary confidentiality stipulaton that threw a blanket of secrecy over the case. The court docket lists more than two dozen defense lawyers for the various defendants in the case.
You have to wonder why the defendants, particularly the archdiocese, agreed to any voluntary confidentiality stipulation when it appears that only the plaintiff, Mr. Doe, has anything to hide. Previously, a judge assigned to the Billy Doe civil case, Judge Sandra Mazer Moss, declined to impose a confidentiality order.
The lone holdout to the confidentiality stipulation was Bernard Shero, who, because he is broke, is representing himself in the civil case.
When Billy Doe's civil lawyers served discovery on Shero, namely Billy Doe's medical records, Shero was an inmate at SCI Houtzdale. Shero then turned those medical records over to Rose, who represents Shero in his criminal appeal, but doesn't represent anybody in the civil case.
No wonder the district attorney and Billy Doe's civil lawyers didn't want those medical records getting out. In his brief, Rose lists just seven statements Doe was quoted as making in the hundreds of pages of medical records:
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| Two Juries Believed This Guy |
Statement No. 2: On Nov. 21, 2005, Billy Doe told his drug counselors that his older brother "had been arrested for sexual assault."
Statement No. 3: A week later, on Nov. 28, 2005, Billy Doe told his drug counselors a second time that his brother had been arrested for sexual assault.
Statement No. 4: On March 5, 2007, Billy Doe "stated that he was molested at age 6, that he was the victim of sexual abuse by a neighbor, and that his brother was arrested for molestation."
For those of you keeping score at home, that was the third time in three years that Billy Doe had told his drug counselors that his older brother had been arrested for molestation.
The only problem, Rose explained in a footnote, was that Billy Doe's older brother "is an attorney and has never been arrested."
Statement No. 5: On March 21, 2007, Billy Doe, according to the medical records, "stated that he was abused by a 14 year-old family friend at age 9, and also by a teacher at age 11."
Statement No. 6: On June 20, 2007, Billy Doe "stated that he was sexually abused by a friend at age 6, and by a teacher at age 7."
Statement No. 7: On Nov. 19, 2007, Billy Doe "stated that he was sexually abused and raped in the 3rd, 4th and 6th grades."
Just 14 months later, on Jan. 30, 2009, Billy Doe called a sex abuse hotline to make his allegations against the church. The story that Billy Doe subsequently told two Philadelphia juries was that when he was a 10-year old altar boy in fifth grade at St. Jerome's parish school, he was raped by Father Charles Engelhardt and Father Edward Avery. Billy Doe further claimed that when he was an a 11-year-old altar boy in sixth grade, he was raped by Shero, his homeroom teacher who also taught him English.
So, going chronologically by age, and adding up all Billy Doe's various stories from the medical records and the criminal trials, over a period of less than two years Billy claimed he was: sexually abused at 6 by a friend; sexually abused at 7 by a teacher; sexually abused or raped at 8 by an unknown assailant; sexually abused or raped at 9 by an unknown assailant; sexually abused at 9 by a 14-year-old family friend; raped at 10 by a couple of priests; and raped at 11 by Shero his homeroom teacher.
Anybody detect a pattern here? If all his allegations are true, does Billy Doe belong in the Guinness book of world records for juvenile sex abuse victims? Is it any wonder that criminal defense lawyer Michael J. McGovern, who represented Father Charles Engelhardt, now doing 6 to 12 years, described Billy Doe as "a lying sack of shit?"
Rose "respectfully" [submitted] that the seven statements from the medical records "suggest that the testimony given by [Billy Doe] at ... trial was part of a fantasy of sexual abuse and a pattern of false statements made by [Billy Doe], perhaps to excuse his acts of bad behavior and criminal misconduct, including selling illegal drugs, a fact that he admitted to in his previously undisclosed statement of Nov. 29, 2011."
On Nov. 29, 2011, Billy Doe told an addiction medicine doctor he was unemployed and living with his parents. "When I asked him how he was supporting himself," the doctor wrote, "He very clearly told me that he was selling drugs and this is how he made a profit."
In his brief, Rose asks the Superior Court to remand the case back to Common Pleas Court for a new trial, "so that the interests of fundamental fairness and justice will be served."
The newly discovered evidence "involve a further attack on [Billy Doe's] credibility and the new information could produce an acquittal at a new trial," Rose argues to the Superior Court. "If the goal is to find justice, then the nature and quality of statements on the part of [Billy Doe] ... would justify a new trial."
In a footnote, Rose writes that Billy Doe's "statements to counselors and treatment officers at drug rehabs and other venues would be admissible at a new trial since he has chosen to pursue a claim for damages to his mental health as part of his present civil lawsuit ... thereby waiving any privilege of confidentiality."
The medical records are expected to be the battleground in the civil case. Expect defense lawyers to have a field day. Besides lying about his older brother being arrested, Billy Doe also told his drug counselors he was a paramedic and a professional surfer, and that he used to weigh 220 pounds.
According to the medical records, at the time he made the claim to have formerly been a heavyweight, Billy Doe weighed 148 pounds. State health department records also do not list Billy Doe on the list of active Emergency Medical Service practitioners nor practitioners who have been disciplined.
Sadly, the proceedings in the civil case will not be televised. The various defendants in the case, as well as Doe and his parents, will be deposed in law offices around the city, and the transcripts and videotapes of those depositions, sadly, kept under seal.
If the archdiocese decides to settle the case, nothing about the proceedings may ever be known.
Once again, you have to question why the various defense lawyers in the civil case would agree to a confidentiality stipulation that will keep the proceedings under a cloak of darkness. Isn't this how we got here in the first place, with the district attorney's entire farce of a "historical" investigation of the church, complete with secret grand jury proceedings, years of gag orders, and sealed pretrial motions and hearings?
Isn't this whole tawdry process due for a megadose of sunlight?
Most of the pages of Rose's brief are devoted to his grounds for an appeal of Shero's criminal convictions. Rose argues that Judge Ceisler abused her discretion by allowing several witnesses to testify about Shero's alleged "inappropriate behavior with other school children."
"This evidence was not admissible to respond to an attempt by [Shero] to portray himself as a hapless and nonviolent victim of aggressive students," Rose wrote. Instead, after several prosecution witnesses got through testifying about the nearly blind Shero's propensity for getting too close to school kids, Shero came across like "a kind of sinister authority figure whose character was such that he had no regard for boundaries between a teacher and a student," Rose wrote.
Boundary violations "had nothing to do" with the violent sexual abuse that Shero was accused of, Rose wrote.
Rose faulted Judge Ceisler for allowing Dr. Gerard Magiotti to testify about testicular pain in young Billy Doe as being consistant with a child who had been sexually abused.
Dr. Margiotti was Billy Doe's pediatrician, but his opinion did not constitute expert medical testimony, Rose argued in his brief. At trial, Dr. Margiotti testified that he did not see or treat Billy Doe when the boy complained about testicular pain. But the judge allowed the prosecutor to ask Margiotti if Billy Doe's testicular pain was "consistent with sexual abuse."
Rose objected, but Judge Ceisler overruled him. Dr. Margiotti answered yes, testicular pain was consistent with sex abuse. In his closing statement, Assistant District Attorney Mark Cipolletti then referred to Billy's testicular pain as a "silent witness" that let the jury know that [Billy Doe] "could not have made this up."
Rose also faulted Judge Ceisler for overruling defense objections to false statements made by Cipolletti in his closing statement.
Billy Doe had told the jury that Shero raped him in the back seat of his car one afternoon in the Spring of 2000, after Shero allegedly offered to drive Doe home from school. At trial, Rose introduced Billy Doe's grand jury testimony, where Doe said he got sick after he was raped by Shero, and missed a lot of time at school.
But Billy Doe's report card for the fourth marking period showed he did not miss a day of school. Indeed, according to school records, Doe showed up for the school the day after the alleged brutal back-seat rape by Shero.
During his closing statement, however, Cipolletti twice told the jury that although the defense claimed that Billy Doe's report card showed that Billy didn't miss any time in the fourth marking period, Billy Doe's actual report card showed he had missed three and a half days.
Rose and McGovern moved for mistrials on behalf of their clients, Shero and Engelhardt, but Judge Ceisler denied the motion.
Rose also claimed as prosecutorial misconduct prosecutor Cipolletti's statements during his closing argument about why no other victims had come forward to charge Shero or Engelhardt with sex abuse.
Cipolletti asked the jury to notice how carefully defense lawyer McGovern had chosen his words in
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| Billy Doe [right] In The Driver's Seat |
"Obviously, what he [McGovern] didn't tell you was no child, no student has come forward yet," Cipoletti told the jury while Billy Doe was making a spectacle of himself by sobbing in the courtroom. "No child, no student has had the courage that [Billy Doe] has because what he did takes guts," the prosecutor told the jury.
Rose also objected to the judge allowing the prosecutor to question Ed Avery about other alleged victims of sex abuse. Avery, an original co-defendant with Msgr. Lynn, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to raping Billy Doe.
When the prosecution hauled him back into court in a prison jumpsuit for the Engelhardt-Shero case, Avery stunned courtroom observers by recanting his guilty plea. Avery told the prosecutor he had lied to take a plea bargain because he didn't want to die in jail. The real story was that he never even met Billy Doe, Avery testified.
At the time he took the plea bargain, the 69-year-old former priest was looking at a maximum possible sentence of 13 1/2 to 27 years in prison. After he pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, and conspiracy with Lynn and others to endanger the welfare of a child, Avery got a sweetheart deal of 2 1/2 to 5 years.
Lynn became the first Catholic administrator in the country to be convicted and sent to jail for failing to adequately supervise a sexually abusive priest. On June 22, 2012, a jury convicted him on one count of endangering the welfare of a child, namely Billy Doe. Lynn was serving a 3 to 6 year prison term when the state Superior Court on Dec. 26, 2013, reversed Lynn's conviction. A panel of Superior Court judges said said the state's child endangerment law that the district attorney had used to indict Lynn on did not apply to the monsignor.
It was more prosecutorial misconduct, Rose argued in his brief, when the judge in the Engelhardt-Shero case allowed Cipolletti to question Avery about his "other five known victims." Cipolletti in his closing argument referred to Avery as "a seasoned pro" who was able to see that Billy Doe "would make a perfect victim," Rose recounts in his brief. To the defense lawyer, it was more evidence of prosecutorial misconduct tolerated by Judge Ceisler.
When it comes to the wild inconsistencies in the tales of the abuse "Billy Doe" claims to have endured, he has tried to explain that he was under the influence of drugs at the time he told his differing stories to archdiocesan employees and others.
ReplyDeleteBut this excuse makes no sense at all. For example, there was an important episode on January 30, 2009, when Archdiocesan victim support worker Louise Hagner went to interview "Billy Doe" the day after he left a phone message with the Archdiocese that he had been abused. On that day, Hagner took careful notes and recorded that "Billy Doe" had told her that Edward Avery violently sodomized him on two occasions, even brutally punching him in the head and tying him up with "altar sashes."
"Billy Doe" now says he completely forgot what he told Hagner that day because he was "wasted" on drugs. Yet according to "Billy Doe"'s 2010 grand jury transcript, which Ralph posted, here is what "Billy Doe" did remember about the very day that Hagner went to go visit him:
• "Billy Doe" remembered getting a call on his cell phone from the archdiocese;
• "Billy Doe" remembered that he agreed to meet with the archdiocese;
• "Billy Doe" remembered his father telling him he did not want him to meet with them;
• "Billy Doe" remembered Louise coming to the house and knocking on the door;
• "Billy Doe" remembered his dad not allowing him to answer the door;
• "Billy Doe" remembered that he sneaked out of the house and hopped into the car with Louise;
• "Billy Doe" remembered Louise "drove down the street a little and parked the car";
• "Billy Doe" remembered Louise identified herself from the Archdiocese victim services;
• "Billy Doe"remembered that he was alone in the car with her;
• "Billy Doe"remembered that Louise was taking notes.
But "Billy Doe" now says that he somehow does not remember anything at all of what he actually told Hagner about his abuse when they were in the car that day.
Why does "Billy Doe" now say that he does not remember what he told Hagner from the archdiocese? He blames it on the drugs, but the obvious explanation is that a year later, in January 2010, "Billy Doe" told the Philadelphia D.A.'s Office radically different stories about his abuse from Avery and he needs to explain away the glaring conflicts in his accounts.
As Ralph has reported, the claims of violence, anal sex, and being tied up by Avery were magically gone and replaced with tales of stripteases, masturbation, oral sex, and other perversions.
The differences are mind-blowing, and the fact that a jury actually convicted Engelhardt and Shero despite these blatant discrepancies will never cease to astonish. I will keep to myself what I think of the members of that jury. For now, they only have their consciences to contend with.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/26863459-418/priest-reinstated-after-inquiry-finds-abuse-claim-unfounded.html#.U08K6KK9YpM
DeleteAnother false accusation. This time the lies were dismissed.
This is explosive and will lead to the quick acquittals of Shero, Englehardt, Avery at new trials if one is so granted. What is Avery's current status since he recanted his guilty plea while serving a 2 1/2 to 5 year sentence as he would be up for release fairly soon?
ReplyDeleteNo brother will like a brother who falsely states that he was arrested multiple times when he was not arrested and is an attorney. Or the brother wrote off his brother's irrational rantings as that of a heroin user.
DA Seth Williams has engineered the greatest miscarriage of justice by relying on incorrect and uncorroborated evidence used to get a lynch mob of jurors to convict three priests and a teacher for what allegedly happened to Billy Doe. This miscarriage of justice did not help those who suffered years ago and to see this happen in the City of Brotherly Love where freedom flourished on July 4th 1776 at Independence Hall is a disgrace to all of us. It is clear that Judges Sarmina and Ceisler are unfit to govern in a courtroom and to run the trials in the style of kangaroo courts is offensive given the rule of law we so cherish in this country and which the blood of our fighting men and women was spilled to protect and preserve the freedom and rights we so cherish. DA Seth Williams is not fit to be in the position he is in.
To enter a criminal case knowing full well how suspect the evidence was and that you had the support of willing judges to help advance your agenda in punishing the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for alleged incidents of abuse that right now cannot be sustained in front of Superior Court and ultimately the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should it ever go that far speaks volumes about the quality of work Seth Williams and his minions did.
It is time to appoint a special prosecutor to sort out this mess and assign blame where should be assigned to. And it is time for action to be taken to immediately release Shero, Englehardt and Avery from prison while also relaxing the bail restrictions imposed on Lynn by having the monitoring device removed from his ankle and giving him freedom of movement with the exception of travel to other states until the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decides whether or not it will take on Seth Williams' appeal.
Meanwhile, from a country where the legitimate process of justice makes Philadelphia look like the Salem Witch Trials:
Delete"...the defence pointed out inconsistencies in various witness accounts and questioned the credibility of the evidence." Sound familiar?
MP Nigel Evans has often behaved like an idiot, and done things which, in the clerical context, would be called “boundary offences”. But it appears justice has been served with his acquittal.
Moreover, he is just the latest in a line of celebrities who have been exonerated of sex abuse allegations. This cascade of allegations has led to what has been described by many as a “witch hunt.” Sound familiar? Only in the UK, where there is not the same animus against the Church that there is in sections of the US, this witch hunt has been against celebrities.
The motivations and tactics are similar, though.
You might want to consult some of the readers’ comments below the article. That is what an informed public looks like. Philadelphia, hang your head in shame.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601582/Nigel-Evans-NOT-GUILTY-sexual-offences-against-seven-young-men.html#ixzz2yVepRrUm
I wholeheartedly endorse James' post above. Those responsible for these despicable miscarriages of justice can start counting their days.
ReplyDeletePaging Dennis Ecker ...
DeleteWhat happened to the first post with the list of names and reply?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteLets say this "story" by Ralph is true. Has Ralph spoke to the attorney for both Engelhardt and Avery to see if they will be jumping on Shero's bandwagon ?
ReplyDeleteWe all know how Ralph likes to write his stories. He would like the less intelligent to believe Lynn's conviction has been overturned as he has stated here, when those who know how to come in out of the rain know that is not true. If anything Lynn is in limbo. My dog has more freedom then Lynn.
Please only page me when there is something to raise an eyebrow about.
p.s. do you really think I care if Shero or any of them get released ? I'm satisfied. I got my pound of flesh. Let them TRY erase the memories they will have to the day they die !!!
WELCOME TO THE CLUB BOYS.
Your pound of flesh, for the likely imprisonment of innocents?
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping 'Billy Doe' meets up with your daughter one day soon.
See if you can erase those memories.
I see Dennis pounding away at his best friend - the keyboard - trying to say how you have been warned and he will sue. That is all he knows how to do. Hey Dennis - maybe Danny had some treats for your dog too....
DeleteYou need one more ingredient for this toxic brew: the complete silence of the mainstream media in this town. I've been publishing the inside story of this farce for more than a year now on this blog, relying on formerly secret grand jury transcripts, police records and Billy Doe's medical records.
ReplyDeleteThe National Catholic Reporter realized the significance of this national story, so they ran a long analysis and an editorial. Yet the Inky, the Daily News, the weeklies, the TV stations all remain on the sidelines, apparently determined to keep silent. If they got involved, some innocent guys stuck in jail would be out by now. And Seth Williams would have had to answer some questions he's been stonewalling on for more than a year. But thanks to the wall of silence, he continues to get away with it.
The Inky even turned down a $58,000 ad from the Catholic League that would have called attention to the vast problems with this case, based on the reporting on this blog. Kind of makes you wonder what else is going on.
Ralph,
DeleteWhatever happened to Pope Donahue ? He is more silent then any Philadelphia mainstream media. The guy who said he would do this, that and everything for these so-called innocent animals, but the facts show he has not done a damn thing.
Let us take a look at the most recent trial of a so-called innocent priest namely fr.McCormick in Philadelphia. Donahue did not post one damn word on his blog in support. He is more interested in boycotting beer manufacturers.
You know this as fact that after Billy left Philly he NEVER posted or spoke publicly about the animals.
HE HAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WHO CARES LESS THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE CAGED ANIMALS.
I think what you and others should be asking yourselves if you think this is all a farce regarding the media is why have we not heard one word from chaput or anyone within the Archdiocese ?
The Archdiocese has no problem when speaking their peace in the past about the media. REMEMBER.
"HE HAS FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM..."
DeleteRead the article - he has a civil suit against all of them. How could he forget unless he is only on cue to behave like your dog when you tell him to sit, stand, rollover. Or is that the way your wife talks to you.
Billy when i ask you this question i need some tears, jim, sheila you too, reach for your tissues. Perfectly choreographed and coached.
Stop acting like you care for this kid or any legitimate victim
It's the same msm that fell silent during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles in order to anoint their candidate two times. Their silence speaks volumes about their ideology.
ReplyDeleteThe lid is gong to blow on the whole sordid mess (leftist media-political "complex"), and the voters and the consumers aren't going to like it much.
We know what's going on- all we need to do now is wait for the rest to catch up.
I'd start looking at Billy Doe's parents as potential abuse suspects - the so called upstanding police officer and nurse. Did Sheila provide any "treats" for her kid with the access she had to prescription medicine?
ReplyDeleteThe snow has stopped. The birds are starting to sing. The weather is getting warmer. The grass is beginning to grow and flowers are beginning to bloom. Spring is in the air.
ReplyDeleteEverything every individual has the right to enjoy EXCEPT those who have been convicted by a jury of their peers for harming a child.
May they continue to enjoy the clanging of metal, the stale air, the screams of others and shouting of staff. All the time looking over their shoulders while looking out a window hoping one day God will forgive them for what that have done.
As someone who has stated "i have come a long way in my recovery" from your alleged abuse by a priest you seem to spend a lot of time on this site and others that could potentially being back memories. Although if i remember it has or never will be verified that you were even abused. Are you related to Seth's favorite criminal - Billy Doe?
DeleteUp urs dennis u frigging bigot love to meet u on a back street i would show u abuse alright.
DeleteRecovery does not mean forgive and forget as you would like all survivors to do.
DeleteRecovery can mean accepting and living with what has happened to oneself. To live with those memories.
Recovery can mean having self-restraint.
Recovery can mean being able to be a shoulder for others, or more important letting others be a shoulder for me.
I can go on and on but I think in all your remaining days you would never understand.
I will only say again I have come a long way in my recovery, and if you don't think I have you only have one person to blame and that is the late fr.Hermley of Father Judge H.S.
Anonymous @ 1:25 must not like my weather report.
DeleteBut that is what happens to people who harm children and are caught and convicted.
Maybe in those future dates that Anonymous plans on visiting Shero and/or Engelhardt he can bring them a tape of birds singing, some grass shavings and a scratch and sniff card that smells like a rose.
Your all mouth anonymous and everyone knows it.
you allege Fr.Hermley abused you. Show us where it has been proven. Hanging on for the SOL to be lifted so you can get your money.
Deleteyou know I am someone to look at you creep
DeleteT Repholz-Smith
Hello Terry,
DeleteIt was only brought to my attention a minute ago that you posted.
I will leave my e-mail address if you would like to chat.
eckerdennis@ymail.com
Seth williams has abused his power his decisions have harmed innocent people disgraced his profession and his on going antics are proof he is incompetant to handle his duties any further should step down immediately and should be a special investigation into his wrong doings not only on these trials but others he.s been involved with. U talk about abuse of power its disgraceful and racist what he has allowed on his shift .
ReplyDeleteHi Ralph - Another excellent recap.
ReplyDeleteAssuming that the convictions of Bernie Shero and Father Engelhardt were overturned, and a retrial found them both totally innocent, what recourse would either of these two gentleman (and Ed Avery, for that matter), have to recoup what they have forfeited in reputation, time and treasure?? More specifically, could they sue the Philadelphia DA's office for malicious prosecution?
Where is Kopride these days???
That's an excellent question for a lawyer. I understand in Pennsylvania civil claims, one can file what's known as a Dragonetti action seeking damages for abusive use of the civil courts. I don't know much about the criminal courts and the subject of malicious prosecution. Perhaps a lawyer can enlighten us.
DeleteRalph u and George have not covered scarfo trial and theres been no info on both grand jurys also any truth to the rumor Galatis daughter and boyfriend are in wittness protection sorry to bother u here but they shut ither sites down
DeleteAvery has nothing to do with this retrial, if there is one. He pled guilty, and was only involved in the Shero / Engelhardt trial as a prosecution witness. He is responsible for sending innocent men to jail by taking the plea in my mind, giving Dan Gallagher an admitted abuser although that was BS. He set the table for the dominos to fall against Lynn, Avery, and Engelhardt. But he does not have the ability to seek anything further besides early parole.
ReplyDeleteChippy,
DeleteI understand that. Avery was forced by circumstance, by the DA's office and by Sarmina's 'prior bad acts' rulings to take that plea. Read what Mike Wallace had to say about it.
The whole friggin' thing is an abject travesty which started with the indict before (fully) investigate grand jury, Sorensen's fatally flawed report and Seth's self-serving interpretation of the EWOC statute with which Sarmina (a one time aspirant to the Superior Court, no less) wholeheartedly agreed - - in spite of repeated defense objections.
Justice for All? Not in Philadelphia where the main line press has apparently been neutered insofar as the Catholic Church is concerned.
Chippy,
DeleteSo Avery is the sole person to blame not only for himself to be sent to prison but Lynn and Engelhardt as you state ?
In your thinking where does Shero fit in ?
You fail to mention Bernie. Is that because he is not a priest or is Bernie guilty because he is not a priest ?
Can it be you forgot about him just like the rest of society has not only of him but the other three ?
When I said "He set the table for the dominos to fall against Lynn, Avery, and Engelhardt" I meant to put Shero in where Avery was written. Thanks for the heads up.
DeleteAvery is not the sole person to blame for this, but he is at the top of the list. By pleading guilty for the sweetheart deal, it gave the prosecution an abuser to refer back to in court, although it was BS. And you know it is BS.
Here's a picture of Dennis at the WTC:
Deletehttp://www.ajc.com/photo/news/national/94738bb4a6a08ae87edf4ce990ec2ef3/pdCHK/
Way too scrawny to be a firefighter, whoever that is, he isn't a firefighter, maybe an EMT/EMS ("firefighter wannabe" or buff). Kinda like the NYPD auxiliary cops; your typical cop 'buff'.
DeleteNow, those FDNY boys, those are some badass fire-eaters.
At any rate, really, who cares- is this the Anon Dennis Ecker posting himself, again?
What a winner this guy is-
Thank You for posting anonymous, I'm not one to pat myself on the back.
DeleteTo JAE: I'm sure you can find out from Ralph if anonymous who posted at 5:46 is indeed me. You maybe offending that poster calling him me.
I will allow the caption of the photo to speak for it self.
Your attempt to discredit will only make you again look like a fool.
Now, the FDNY men and women are badass fire-eaters, no different those of the PFD or any other department in the world. Running in as you run out, or individuals who are begged to save a family member when you can't.
YES, I AM A WINNER ON TWO COUNTS.
Ralph,
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of lawyers enlightening us. How is it legal for judges and the DA to "stay" this valuable information when someone like Shero and Engelhardt are facing trial based on allegations of a known drug abuser and criminal with a rap sheet as long as Gallaghers? How are real facts somehow allowed to be omitted from a persons defense of themselves in a court of law in this country?
Dennis @233 pm,
ReplyDeleteYou don't care if they get released. You got your pound of flesh. If you truly believe they are guilty how can you feel this way. If all you wanted was a pound of flesh is it possible you didn't care if they were guilty and just wanted someone to pay for others sins.
Reading this account its just too unbelievable to take anything this kid says as truth.
I offer the following list for your perusal, dear readers. May I precede it with a multiple-choice question? The following is a list of people who have:
ReplyDelete1. Worked tirelessly to ensure justice is done in Philadelphia, to ensure the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" is upheld, and that the God-given commandment of not bearing false witness is not broken.
2. Conducted themselves with the utmost honesty and integrity, with regard only for the common rights and respect due to others.
3. Disgraced themselves, their profession, their family and the name of justice in Philadelphia by lying, abetting, deceiving and manipulating.
Judges: Renée Cardwell Hughes, Sarmina and Ceisler
DA office: Mark Cipoletti, Seth Williams, Mariana Sorensen; ADA Pat Blessington, ADA Evangelina Manos
Allegants: "Billy Doe", supported by his father officer James Gallagher Sr., mother Sheila Gallagher and brother James Gallagher Jr. (a lawyer, I believe)
Detective Walsh
Readers may feel that certain members of media organizations in Philadelphia may warrant inclusion in this list, depending on the answer they feel most accurately describes the people named above. Please feel free to extend the list where appropriate. Personally, I cast no aspersions in providing this list; and do so in the interests of full and transparent public debate. I have heard only good things about Judge Ceisler and Mr Williams, as well as the media in Philadelphia who apparently provide excellent, impartial reporting without the influence of agenda. Apparently they are very quick to investigate what would appear to be miscarriages of justice, false accusations and a proclivity to lying. Again, that's just my information. I may perhaps be wrong. I would welcome correction by readers should this be the case.
Detective Walsh is a good man and does not belong on that list.
DeleteDetective Walsh believes that Shero and Engelhardt are innocent and has done nothing but go silent since his retirement on this issue. He sits at home and at the shore enjoying his freedom as these two men are in jail for a crime they didn't commit. He knows all the background on the investigation, the gap between the allegation and the 11 month start of the investigation. He knows if there was ever an original file that may have been shredded by the DA's office, which could have exonerated these innocent men. He is more worried about losing friends, his pension, and protecting other cops families who have lied, than innocent men in jail. Yet he remains silent. A Good Man Does This??
DeleteHe can rot in hell with the rest of that list.
Thanks Chippy. Anybody know of other sites, blogs etc where Walsh's details are available? Don't post the info on here but just the links.
DeleteShero is in the best possible location for himself and society.
ReplyDeleteChildren are being protected from the abuse Mr. Gallagher was made to suffer at the hands of Shero.
and
Shero is being protected from rock wilding children whose only goal was to protect themselves.
Besides, Shero is broke. If he is released he would only be another strain on a system that is at its breaking point. Shero should be thinking to himself here I am getting three squares a day, free clothing, free medical, a place to lay my head with all utilities paid, and if he does not attempt to do anything stupid like he has done in the past he is fairly safe. He even has people to check in on him at night and wish him a good morning, and if his new home is like many others in this country he even has a free gym membership.
Ralph should spend more attention on not getting convicted individuals out of prison but putting more in, especially those who have been convicted of harming our most precious gift from God our children.
I don't know if any of our outstanding citizens who post here have young children like those abused, but I have NEVER read one word from anyone putting the child first. Instead we read time and time again how much a drug addict that kid was, and Ralph is the leader of the group. I have made my decision up a long time ago that Ralph clearly has no clue on what a abuse victim goes through. He clearly has never sat down with a abuse victim, or has spoken with a abuse counselor. Homework that any respected journalist would do.
Philadelphia residents could care less what happens with Shero, Avery, Engelhardt and Lynn. There is more important things to worry about and more people to be concerned with. THEY HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN.
Let us move onto putting more child abusers behind bars like fr.McCormick the Polish Pedophile or fr. Brennan the spooning sick individual.
Wheres that junkie loving bigot at.
ReplyDeleteIts about time that racist piece of shit seth williams gets his just due.
ReplyDeleteAgain, a strong suggestion to all posters on here: ignore and do not respond to any of Ecker's comments. He is a self-aggrandizing bigot who contributes nothing to this site or the many others where he spreads his hate with inane comments.
ReplyDeleteI always skip straight past his posts, which waste valuable space and make people less likely to read these threads and their important discussions relating to matters of innocent people's fate.
In short: boycott Ecker.
Thank you.
I agree he us nauseating
DeleteAgreed. Let him spew his bile on irrelevant sites like (anti-)catholics4 change.
DeleteKeep him off here.
Boycott Ecker.
This must be Billy Donahue. He wants everyone to boycott me. I said it many times before I am not standing behind anyone forcing them to read my posts and I am not forcing anyone to comment on them either.
DeleteI will say anonymous @ 10:22 is one of the best LIARS here when he says "I always skip past his posts" Unless anonymous has a hot nut for me there must have been something he read that I posted for him to make his comment.
I would have no doubt this anonymous looks for my postings. He maybe have been the anonymous who on 4/5/14 @ 0956 was looking for a posting, and you know why ? Because he wants to read the TRUTH.
I am catholic i dontt go to church every sunday and my thoughts how dealing with certain people are not welcome by the church or the law and u rightous few on here but trust me its very effective always works for me. Anyone who harms innocent children should pay for his wrong doings and should be torcherd himself. But when u have a guy like set williams who abuses his powers doesnt get all the facts and evidence then we have a major problem cayse tgen we would be torchering somebody who is innocent then whats that make us.with that said i hope someone gets off there ass and investigates seths william racist work against the catholic church and holds his sorry ass accountable for his wrong doings and the embarassment he has caused his profession because like pethofile priest he prosecutes. He.s the pethofile of his profession for not getting all the facts and evidence. May seth That junkie Billy Doe and them priest who harmed innocent children or anyone who harms a child be torchered and Rot in hell
ReplyDeletePlease excuse my spelling didnt have time to check everything
DeleteJB
DeleteNo No you said it right. Pet-HO-file. I would say that is a correct term to call Avery, Engelhardt and Shero.
still not answered - you allege Fr. Hermley abused you. Show us where it has been proven.
DeleteYou continue to skip over posts that are directed to you because when the truth comes out what a fraud you are your wife will leave you and you will never see your kid again.
Don't you think I have been asked by others like you for me to prove the hell Hermley put me through ?
DeleteWhat proof do you want me to show you ? I can tell you to go to the bishop accountability web site and look under Hermley, I can tell you to call the archdiocese of Philadelphia or I can tell you to contact the Oblates of St. Francis in Delaware.
But if you are wishing I go into detail about every sick perverted thing Hermley did to me. You will be waiting a long time so you can get your rocks off.
Did I answer your question sicko ?
Anonymous @ 1057
ReplyDeleteI think it is funny in your thinking anyone who speaks out or challenges the Catholic church in your thinking is anti-Catholic.
Yes, I post on Catholics4Change, and although no longer Catholic I have nothing but praise for Susan and Kathy who run the site but more important I have the upmost respect for the people who post there.
I have read comments of individuals who have been abused by clergy members who still love the Roman Catholic faith. They know it was not their faith that got them abused but by a church and its clergy members who turned a blind eye to the pain that was allowed to happen and protected by its hierarchy. I everyday will read at least once one person giving support to another.
If you wish to attack me that's fine, but to attack a site that does good and serves a purpose unlike this one that's wrong. Catholic4Change deals with clergy abuse and the wrong-doings of the Catholic church everyday. Although Ralph's blog maybe informative on some issues you won't see stories about Fumo, L&I department, or the mob, they are dedicated to one issue.
When you or anyone else here stops typing for the day what purpose did this blog serve ?Do you walk away feeling any better then when you started ? Has it helped in anyway of getting 3 predators and a yes man any closer to freedom ? Has it obtained anymore respect for your clergy ?
I read anonymous @ 4/7/14 at 5:28 and in his comment he stated his posting was for " in the interests of full and transparent public debate". I walked away after reading that and thought to myself that author must not have been reading this blog for a long time. Because it has never been a public debate but a place were you go to attack people like me, and a place I can go and attack people like you.
In a way I hope you get your wish. My life does not depend on being able to post on a blog or not. I can assure you I will not go into withdrawl. The problem there is who would you attack then ?
Unlike you and others I only see one person who posts here and uses his real name willing to standby what he writes. CAN YOU GUESS WHO THAT IS ?
This story has the potential of going over 200 posts like the McCormick story a while past because of a certain poster named Dennis Ecker who exchanges snipes with posters. The facts have been stated in this story and the evidence is compelling enough to merit new trials or even dismissal od charges against three priests and a teacher put in jail by Danny Gallagher's infamous false testimony that changes with the moon.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happens in civil trial will show how much of Gallagher's claims of abuse will be supported.If he cannot support his case, it will collapse on its merits with zero chance of a payout from the Archdiocese.
The damage Gallagher has done to victims of abuse is immense when his abuse claims are not supportable by the evidence that will prevail in appellate and civil court. Even worse is DA Seth Williams perverting our system of justice by using evidence in a criminal case that cannot be supported at all by the facts.
We deserve better from young law students as they aspire toward becoming lawyers by passing the state bar examination. And we deserve better from lawyers who become District Attorney.
Your right james if we performed at our jobs the way seth williams we would.ve been fired immediately therefore somebody needs to step to the plate and end this travisty
DeleteYou're right, James.
ReplyDeleteBOYCOTT ECKER.
And you're also right that, with the McCormick case and D Gallagher case, it is hard to believe anybody claiming abuse against a priest. Though some were (foolishly) paid handsomely by archdioceses for their lies, I think even the low-information US public has come to realize what a scam this is.
Oh, I feel so loved.
ReplyDeleteLike the Brennan case we are going to see the McCormick case return when the polish pedophile must return to court April 28th to present his new attorney since his present attorney at the initial trial jumped ship. Maybe Ralph can find out why Mr. Brennan (no relation to the animal with the same name) spoke those words to the judge I'm done I'm done".
We can only hope on April 28th we get a new date for the suspect to receive his speedy trial afforded to him by law so we can turn the Polish pedophile into the Polish princess when 12 members of a jury come back and say guilty. The faster his trial is concluded the faster all of us can forget about him also.
BOYCOTT ECKER
You Pa. and Philly residents need to contact your state and local reps to force a review of the Gallagher case. Sending letters to editors of national media outlets (print, radio, TV) may get you some attention, as well. I've forwarded this article to several honest msm journalists, as well as to cable and Catholic media outlets.
ReplyDeleteNo one is going to willingly look to rustle up this hornets nest of cronyism/corruption, especially one manufactured by their own cronies, until the masses rise up.
Rise up, taxpayers, citizens.
I have read a few articles but the reason i check this particular blog is to see what they write about that racist piece of shit seth williams. But dennis if u were abused raped or violated then that explains ur vile hayred for the catholic church and explains why u are the way u are and theres no fixing that. Enough said and may god help u through ur remaining journey.
ReplyDeleteThe spin doctor
DeleteIts called due process and a fair shake but i can tell u first hand about Billy Doe and others like him theyll cut there mothers throats and rob any thing thats not tied down and when they get caught they.ll blame anything or anybody just like u they wont take responsibility for there actions or get help.
DeleteYes, Ecker is a spin doctor who really believes his own b.s.
ReplyDeletePeople, Boycott Ecker.
ReplyDeleteDon't read. Don't comment. It's easy.
He will eventually go away. He is monopolizing these threads and making them impossibly long, so that any curious and interested visitors who may wish to learn the truth about the AOP kangaroo courts end up not bothering to read some of the very enlightening comments left by more intelligent posters.
Boycott Ecker.
We have a rabid, dishonest anti-Catholic shill amongst us- let's not permit him to monopolize and derail the very productive debate on the latest- quite revealing article.
DeleteI agree with the suggestion to 'boycott' comments designed only to stall and discourage progress- it is time to advance the dialogue and get unstuck from the muck.
"Avery, an original co-defendant with Msgr. Lynn, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial to raping Billy Doe".
ReplyDeleteBy Ralph's own words I think the title he gave Danny underneath a photo above can be changed from alleged victim to victim, and no judge in the world will see it any different.
Anonymous@9:12 I think you should give your comment "he will eventually go away" another thought.
You fear the one sided crap that you and others who have come to enjoy will disappear. Maybe you should make your exit. When you post its like hearing from a whining child who has not gotten his way. Grow up man this is suppose to be a blog of adults.
You just sumed ur life up in ur last 24 words
ReplyDeleteDennis besides BOY GEORGE BORGESI u might be the second most hated person on this sight why is that and dont say because we both know thats bull shit and don.t blame the church or spin it that ur beliefs are not understood or our faith blinds us
ReplyDeleteCorrection^^
DeleteDont say because u speak the truth we both know thats bullshit cont>
"Billy Doe's Fantasy of Sexual Abuse"
ReplyDeleteIf we were to look in the dictionary the word Fantasy is defined as a creative imagination.
However, the day Avery walked into a court room and plead guilty to raping a young child that word fantasy quickly turned to REALITY. The creative imagination of a young man's
statements of abuse who many believe to this day was only a way to gain the quick buck turned to fact.
Then the ability for this young man to pick three seemingly different individuals from a group of many different people from St. Jeromes who all had one thing in common of questionable behavior with young children was either luck or what he was saying was fact. Since the odds at picking out not only one abuser but to pick out three abusers is staggering I would take a safer bet and go with fact.
Now I would like to address something that I and others think is purely comical, and that is the boycott of Ecker. I would like to know how I became the center of attention by one individual who cannot form two words together or by an individual who gets up in the wee hours of the morning to state that I am derailing this very productive debate. (chuckle, chuckle)
If I am able to steer the attention away from the present article (which is not my intent) what chance does Shero and Engelhardt have with so many undedicated individuals. I am only one person this time around, but as one person made a comment he fears people who may come to this site to read Ralph's article will also read my comments. Fears that someone may read my comments. Is that a fear of someone reading the truth or a fear of reading about the other-side of this one-sided debate that some have come to enjoy ?
I am not sure if you are clouded by your faith or for some other reason but lets discuss some of the points you bring up. Starting with the arraignment of Avery you feel there must have been some wrong-doings when he was not asked if he touched or knew Danny Gallagher. The arraignment process is the time when the defendant is read the charges against him, it is also the time when the defendant may enter his plea of guilt or innocence. It is also the time when bail maybe set. It is not a hearing and it is not the time or place if the defendant is asked by the prosecutor or defense if they did the crime or not. In this case did Avery know or touch Mr. Gallagher.
DeleteI will admit that Avery was given a deal that only a guilty man could be defined as an idiot if he did not accept, and I believe his defense counsel felt the same way.
So now we have this self-admitted rapist pleading guilty to raping Danny Gallagher by name and agreeing to all the charges he did to this young man. You cannot want me to believe or others to believe even on your best day that Avery did not have any idea who Danny was or if he touched him or not. His actions in the second trial I will describe as only some very poor theatrics.
You seem to feel Avery is to blame for sending the rest to prison but you will have to explain your line of thinking a little clearer, I think what point your trying to bring up is Avery should have taken the chance to spending either thirty years in prison or dying in prison to somehow help the rest of the convicted.
Your 3rd paragraph shows how little you know about these trials and actions that happened in the courtroom. Your absence from the courtroom is obvious and your fear of being seen in public will keep you away from the upcoming criminal and civil trials too.
DeleteDennis: if you knew anything about the facts in this case, you would know those defendants were denied the preliminary hearing by exJudge Hughes, that was the first time their rights to a fair process and fair hearing on the validity of the charges was denied. They indicted those men purely on the basis of the grand jury report handwritten by Hughes and Sorenson. There was a piece in the NE TImes local rag distributed free to the residents last week in which ADA Burns is quoted that this newly discovered information was always available to the defense before and during those trials. Unfortunately, the writer neglected to add Burn's statement was a blatant lie as Judge Ransom ruled early on that the "medical records" were off limits to the defense attornies and despite numerous requests in court for Gallagher's information, they were denied access to those records.
DeleteObviously, reading the above list of bizarre statements made to those drug counselors and medical staff, you know now why those records were never to see the inside of the courtroom in the criminal trials for Frs Lynn, Engelhardt as well as Bernard Shero.
At least the higher court is allowing those appeals for Engelhardt and Shero to include this evidence which has now reinforced my belief Danny Gallagher is a pathological liar, a con artist and drug addict looking for his payday. I also think those 2 dozen defense attornies in the civil case might find something useful in their defense efforts as well.
Did this kid come out of the womb wearing sunglasses?
ReplyDeleteRalph, can you address the Ecker issue? He is degrading the usefulness of this blog. And I know for a fact it is preventing people from accessing the valuable commentary and information contained on the only publicly available news source regarding an egregious travesty of justice.
ReplyDeleteI suspect he is doing this deliberately.
Nobody else writes as much about himself. Nobody else is so patently driven by bigotry. Nobody else monopolizes valuable space on the thread.
Is there some way of filtering/editing his posts - or shrinking them to one line with an option to "continue reading"?
This is not about restricting somebody's rights to comment. There are plenty of dissenting voices on here. It is about preventing an extremely important source of public information from being hijacked by one person's obsessiveness.
justone1618,
DeleteIs that the usefulness of this blog to be one-sided or is the usefulness of this blog to attempt to degrade an individual who clearly was a victim of clerical sexual abuse.
So I don't have to say it again, without all the excuses or fillers what did Avery plead guilty to doing and who did he plead guilty to doing it to ?
Perhaps a simple "DO NOT FEED THE TROLL" notice to commenters, identifying the comment/commenter being targeted, regarding the excessive trolling and harassing posts by individual commenters, will suffice?
DeleteWe don't want censorship to be the outcome of any of our efforts.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day-
Why are comments being removed from this site?
ReplyDeleteIts sad comments are being removed none of them areclose to being nasty or hurtfull whats up wit that ralph
DeleteJB
ReplyDeleteAs much as this kills me to say Dennis has every right to his bigotry opinion
as we do to object to his opinion and beliefs and hatefullnessof the catholic church as long as it is writen on boarder line distaste not much ralph can do about that as for deleteing anything on this particular site is a joke for i have yet to see anything particular that should have been erased if u think dennis stuff is distastefull follow the mob site when George post an article ull find dennis views childish at best compared to those which George has had to shut the comment site completely so if dennis offends u and his intentions are to do so may be u should read a comic book but yes he is nauseating but dennis isnt the problem here. Dennis is a victim of abuse from the catholic church so he says therefore lyes the hatred and the catholic church is no better for covering this shit up. But we are working towards correcting the wrong doings and healing the process is slow but working but the dennis eckerts of the world ur never gonna fix he has a right to an opinion no matter how distastefull it might be its called freedom of speech with that said
the real bigot racist problem is
DA SETH WILLIAMS FOR HIS
INCOMPETANCE TO GET ALL THE FACTS AND EVIDENCE AND PUT THE BILLY DOES ON THE WITTNESS STAND NOT TO GET JUSTICE BUT TO GET A PAY DAY AND THERE LYES THE PROBLEM MAY BE SETH WILLIAMS GETS A KICK BACK AFTER THE BILLY DOES HE PARADES UP THERE GET THERE PAY DAY ON LIES INSTEAD OF JUSTICE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE WHY THESE TRIALS ARE EVEN BROUGHT FORTH TRIED AND THEN OVER TURNED WITH WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY. THEN THE GUYS FOUND INNOCENT AND THER LIES ANOTHER PROBLEM HE.S LABELED FOR LIFE . SETH NEEDS TO STEP HIS RACIST BIGOTED CATHOLIC HATING ASS DOWN BEFORE HE RUINS ANY MORE LIVES AND BEFORE HE EMBARASSES DEPARTMENT ANY FURTHER ITS TIME TO GO SETH WILLIAMS!!!!!
http://www.themediareport.com/2014/04/09/engelhardt-shero-philadelphia-cipriano/
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, from a country where the legitimate process of justice makes Philadelphia look like the Salem Witch Trials:
ReplyDelete"...the defence pointed out inconsistencies in various witness accounts and questioned the credibility of the evidence." Sound familiar?
MP Nigel Evans has often behaved like an idiot, and done things which, in the clerical context, would be called “boundary offences”. But it appears justice has been served with his acquittal.
Moreover, he is just the latest in a line of celebrities who have been exonerated of sex abuse allegations. This cascade of allegations has led to what has been described by many as a “witch hunt.” Sound familiar? Only in the UK, where there is not the same animus against the Church that there is in sections of the US, this witch hunt has been against celebrities.
The motivations and tactics are similar, though.
You might want to consult some of the readers’ comments below the article. That is what an informed public looks like. Philadelphia, hang your head in shame.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601582/Nigel-Evans-NOT-GUILTY-sexual-offences-against-seven-young-men.html#ixzz2yVepRrUm
In this country we have a justice system and although I will admit its not perfect it is a system that must be respected until something else better comes along.
ReplyDeleteI could give that old answer to those who are not happy and seem that the justice system and their laws especially those of the UK are a reason for Philly residents to hang their heads in shame to pack their bags and don't let the plane door hit them in the ass.
But I won't because the ones who complain the most, especially those who scream the loudest have no clue of laws of other countries, and only take for granted of what they have here.
Instead I will tell these people to get off their duffs and do their civic duty to try and change laws if not happy with them, or vote so the better candidate is elected.
With all due respect to the good residents (all too few) of Philadelphia - you are only possibly (generously) one step above Detroit, Newark and Camden when it comes to being on the wrong end of the list of great cities (as defined by your crime rates and government corruption), so, it might be well-advised to look to others on which to model for your future.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, relocating the tax base is the only solution to starving the corruption bug that infects a once-great city. Your money is their life-blood.
It is apparent that most of the commenters here are all-too-aware of the laws of other lands (within and outside our borders), and how Philly's laws aren't measuring up to even the two most basic American legal principles - innocent until proven guilty and beyond a reasonable doubt, to be applied judiciously, even if you are a maliciously maligned/hated Catholic priest.
Typically Christians believe that Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
ReplyDeleteIt is a day every year that I hope the Catholic Church resurrects its self by doing what is right for every victim of clergy sexual abuse.
However, this year and like the years past. The Catholic Church continues to lie dead.
Maybe next year ?
Update on McCormick trial? Said to start April 29th. Did he get new attorney?
ReplyDelete