Posted on 03/23/2004 3:13:17 AM PST by sidewalk
Attorney John Aretakis said, "The Albany County politicians find it in their own self interests to protect priests whether they're pedophiles or predatory or not, and Bishop Hubbard."
Scathing remarks from attorney John Aretakis, who is most known for representing victims of clergy sex abuse. Now, he's coming out attacking Albany law enforcement, saying people like Police Commissioner John Nielsen and District Attorney Paul Clyne are defying law and order to protect Bishop Hubbard and other priests affiliated with the Albany Catholic Diocese.
Aretakis said, "Where I'm alleging there has been corruption is with the upper echelons of the police department and the Albany district attorney's office."
Aretakis points directly to an affidavit written and signed by the wife of a now-deceased Albany police sergeant. Ms. Judy Berben approached Aretakis when claims came up earlier this year concerning possible homosexual relationships by Bishop Howard Hubbard. In this statement, Berben states her husband discovered Hubbard in Washington Park soliciting male and children prostitutes. But when her husband and other police officers discovered him, she said Bishop Hubbard was not arrested because of his position in the clergy.
Speaking on behalf of Commissioner Nielsen, Detective James Miller said the claims by Aretakis are baseless and false. He would not speak on camera, saying he didn't want to even justify the remarks. He said as of now, there are no criminal investigations into Bishop Hubbard, and no reason Albany police would ever be involved, much less look to protect Hubbard.
District Attorney Paul Clyne also wouldn't speak on camera, saying there was nothing to respond to. He said Aretakis hasn't named any specific instances where Clyne averted the law to protect Hubbard, so he said the claims by Aretakis are baseless.
As for the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese, spokesman Father Kenneth Doyle issued this statement saying, "John Aretakis has no credibility. He lost every court case he brought against the Albany Diocese because he had no facts to back his false claims. He has been threatened with contempt of court. He is the subject currently of multiple ethics investigations. This is not a man whose public statements deserve serious consideration."
Detective Miller said he and Commissioner Nielsen will look into the claims and respond further in the coming days.
Does Aretakis have any witnesses who are, in fact, alive and can be cross-examined?
This guy is off into conspiracy land.
Thank you for the post sidewalk.
This is very telling. First of all, Fr. Doyle only attacked Aretakis whom the diocese CHOSE not to fight a court battle but settled a sexual abuse case instead. Well, there must have been very credible evidence Aretakis got for them to settle. So this backfires on Hubbard and his Propaganda machine is crumbling badly. Hubbard and Doyle are the ones that have no credibility.
Second, please note even Doyle did not attack the widow Judy Berben. Why? Because what she said is true, and there are still other members of the police force who are aware of this and are still living. If Hubbard were stupid enough to jump on Berben, those other policemen alluded to in her affidavit may come right out swinging. Policemen don't take it lightly when anyone jumped on their deceased members, specially when what was said is true.
Also take note that the police spokesman James Miller also did not attack the deceased sargeant, but denied protecting Hubbard in a general categorical tone. He is also aware there are other policemen out there who would put Hubbard at Washington Park soliciting sex.
As far as the cops are concerned, they really don't care if Hubbard got burned as he deserves. They just don't want to get implicated for collusion of administration of justice.
Third, Judy Berben went to seek out Aretakis on her own, because of Hubbard's and Doyle's public lies. There are likely others who have done the same. I suspect Aretakis are just holding back and putting on the squeeze very slowly.
For all we know, Berben may have consulted the other policemen she alluded to before going to Aretakis. They, as policemen, would realize that if Berben ever got subpeona to tell all, their own names would come out in the open. It would be a courtesy for Berben to alert them first before hanging them out to dry. At the same time, these policemen may have encouraged her to go to Aretakis, and even possibly went themselves and gave Aretakis affidavits which may be held back.
Hubbard is done.
Testimony Past Holds Signficant Clues
Attorneys lambaste how allegations were made (Sunday Morning with Liz Bishop)
If Aretakis has more info, I was expecting him to hold back until the formal investigation is complete.
Yes, it is odd. But it may not be due to the cause of death if it was suicide.
I would surmise they foresee the difficulty of releasing the autopsy report yet witholding Minkler's suicide note at the same time. Hiding or delaying either document is very suspicious even to the media.
"Sworn testimony" by a hearsay witness. Hardly convincing.
The "pattern and practice" is that two of Aretakis' "witnesses" are dead, and the other is severely compromised.
You know, of course, that NONE of this would hold up in a court of law.
Yes. The diocese settled one case. In that same case, Aretakis agreed to non-disclosure of the terms. He promptly went out and broke that non-disclosure, almost immediately.
Aretakis is digging up corpses in an effort to make his case.
It's pitiful, actually.
On the contrary, Andy Zalay, Anthony Bonneau, and Judy Berben went to seek out Aretakis on their own. Bonneau and Berben did so particularly due to the public lies of Hubbard. Get your facts straight.
Don't hold your breath, there is more to come, possibly from living policemen who worked with Berben's husband.
I'll say this again ..... Hubbard is not only toast, he is croutons !!!!!
So Aretakis says. You believe him. I don't.
I will ask you: why has Aretakis not produced one single credible witness against Hubbard? Wives and brothers of dead men don't count, as they are third parties.
And Bonneau is simply not credible.
Why don't they come forward now? You mean, Aretakis has direct eyewitnesses to Hubbard's immorality, and he's stashing them?
LOL!!! If he had the goods, he'd rush these guys out so fast your head would spin.
Are you naive or just plain dumb?
I think Aretakis was sensitive to Judy's (dying) husband. Likewise, he is sensitive to the living policemen's whistle blower situation and their future pension status.
Don't worry, the final laugh will be on you when this is all over.
He better start playing them.
He's shown only jokers so far.
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