Posted on 08/05/2004 3:18:40 PM PDT by sidewalk
Diocese: Lawsuit is 'absurd'
Faced with accusations of widespread corruption, Albany Roman Catholic Diocese officials are calling a lawsuit brought against them as "patently absurd."
Attorney John Aretakis has filed a $2.5 million federal lawsuit Steven Hall, 34, a former church handyman at the Sacred Heart Church in Gloversville. The lawsuit accuses the former Sacred Heart pastor the Rev. David Tressic, the diocese and others of conspiring to convict him of extortion to deter his claim of sexual abuse against Tressic. Diocese spokesman Kenneth Goldfarb said today the cases brought before the church by Aretakis has distracted from the needs of real victims and the work done to promote healing.
Tressic, 61, left the church and diocese in June. Church officials didn't say why Tressic left, but Aretakis claimed it was due to the allegations.
Aretakis said Hall stated at a news conference Wednesday that Tressic paid him for sex in Washington Park before asked to move in with Tressic and become a church handyman.
Hall was homeless at the time he met Tressic.
In the 63-page lawsuit filed with in a federal court, Hall claimed he was sexually abused by Tressic from 1998 to 2002. Hall also accused Bishop Howard Hubbard with protecting numerous pedophile priests by negotiating with law enforcement officials to avoid any investigations.
In response to the lawsuit, Goldfarb said many of Aretakis' clients and others have received counseling and support from the bishop.
Aretakis, however, claims the church has done nothing to help the victims. The church has faced numerous other lawsuits brought by Aretakis. Goldfarb said the cases that have been decided on were dismissed rather than sent to trial.
"There was no merit to them," Goldfarb said.
While other cases are still pending, Aretakis said the dismissed cases dealt with clients suing the diocese on collateral matters.
"I have never had a lawsuit withdrawn or dismissed based on the actual sexual abuse of a priest," Aretakis said today.
Since the lawsuit claims the events occurred within the last three years, Aretakis said this case cannot be dismissed. He expects the case to reach trial. The lawsuit also contains the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, which is used to uncover criminal enterprise.
According to the lawsuit, Hall also claimed Tressic, Hubbard, and attorney Michael Costello offered him a $75,000 settlement in 2002 while trying to frame him for attempting extortion. They also conducted meetings with Hall, which he claimed were secretly tape recorded.
Last September, Tressic filed a criminal complaint against Hall, claiming extortion. Hall was indicted at a Fulton County grand jury in October. The case was dismissed earlier this year "in the interest of justice."
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