Judge approves 30 Tucson diocese sex abuse settlement claims
Settlements for 30 people who filed claims of sexual abuse against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson were approved by federal bankruptcy Judge James M. Marlar on Tuesday morning.
The settlements represent $9.1 million in initial disbursements, which will be paid if the diocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan is approved. Creditors must cast votes on whether to approve the plan by July 1. Confirmation hearings are set for July 11-15.
Twenty-nine of the 30 people who settled Tuesday are represented by Tucson attorneys Lynne M. Cadigan and Kim E. Williamson, who in 2002 reached a $14 million settlement with the diocese on behalf of 10 men who said they were sexually molested by four members of the local clergy during the 1960s, '70s and '80s.
"Our goal is to get our clients money as quickly as possible," Williamson said. "But you cannot put a value on the damage they suffered."
People with valid claims against the diocese will receive initial payments that range from $15,000 to $600,000 per person. The identities of the claimants are sealed by the court but Marlar last year approved putting three brothers from Yuma in the highest tier, which means they will each receive $600,000 as an initial payment if the final plan is confirmed.
The brothers, two of whom are still teenagers, say they were repeatedly raped by the Rev. Juan Guillen, a Yuma priest now serving 10 years in state prison. Guillen, the former associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Yuma, pleaded guilty in 2003 to two counts of attempted child molestation as part of a plea agreement.
Read the article at The Arizona Daily Star Dated June 14, 2005
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