New Jersey can have a grand jury investigate clergy sex abuse allegations, state high court rules

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: AP

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey can have a grand jury examine allegations of clergy sexually abusing children, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Monday, after a Catholic diocese that had tried for years to block such proceedings recently reversed course.

The Diocese of Camden previously had argued that a court rule prevents the state attorney general from impaneling a grand jury to issue findings in the state’s investigation into decades of allegations against church officials. But the diocese notified the court in early May that it would no longer oppose that. Camden Bishop Joseph Williams, who took over the diocese in March, said he’d met with stakeholders in the diocese and there was unanimous consent to end the church’s opposition to the grand jury.

The seven-member Supreme Court concluded such a grand jury inquiry is allowed.

“Courts cannot presume the outcome of an investigation in advance or the contents of a presentment that has not yet been written,” the court wrote in an opinion joined by all seven justices. “We find that the State has the right to proceed with its investigation and present evidence before a special grand jury.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/clergy-abuse-catholic-church-new-jersey-1675bdb68b1e62b328c4550a3c271bee

[3Hotdogs]

1. It shouldn't be limited to just sexual abuse. I was 12 and in Confirmation class.

The culmination of the class --- the bishop comes to the church and asks a couple of kids a couple of questions from the Catechism book. This is to assure that the kids are prepared to be good "Soldiers for Christ." We spent a year, studying and memorizing the questions and their answers.

A week before Confirmation - I can only imagine the tension on the part of the nuns. A wrong answer reflects badly on them. (Actually, I doubt the bishop would have given a shit if the answer was at least reasonably correct.)

So we are out in the school hall, about 40 of us from three classes. And the head nun begins to ask us the questions from the book. One kid pronounces a word incorrectly. She takes the kid and pinches his cheek, while she saying the word to the kid. rhythmically shaking the kid by his cheek.

A few more kids get by with correct answers.

Then a kid fucks it up. I'll never forget it, 70 years later. She slams the kid against the fucking wall. The kid goes down and there is blood on the wall and on the floor. Minutes later, we are all dismissed. Walking home, we hear the sound of an ambulance going towards the school.

This happened in New Jersey