Posted on 10/05/2004 4:03:16 PM PDT by sidewalk
A Catholic priest who made "liberal and aggressive use of the press" to rebut allegations of sexual misconduct cannot now bar a plaintiff and her lawyer from doing the same, a Syracuse judge ruled yesterday.
Supreme Court Justice Edward D. Carni refused to impose a gag order on John A. Aretakis, an Albany-area attorney who represents dozens of alleged clergy abuse victims.
Mr. Aretakis has come under intense criticism, primarily from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, and is the target of several disciplinary complaints alleging that he unethically disseminated scandalous information on clerics. He has persistently accused the diocese and its officials of using the pulpit and diocesan newspaper to attack his credibility while complaining about his attacks on the church and priests.
Justice Carni said yesterday in Jane Doe #1 v. Zeder that Reverend Thomas Keating's exploitation of the media for his own purposes severely undercuts his argument for gagging Mr. Aretakis.
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