Posted on 10/04/2010 8:30:20 PM PDT by topher
Thomas More Society Charges Forward in ND88 Case, Winning the Right to Take a Deposition of Former Notre Dame Official
Posted by Thomas More Society (September 22, 2010 at 9:03 am)
For Immediate Release
South Bend, Ind.—Late Monday, a St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge ruled that attorneys from the Thomas More Society may depose a former official recently fired by the University of Notre Dame—a key ruling for the defense in the case of the “ND88,” the 88 pro-life demonstrators arrested at the University for protesting President Obama’s receiving honors at the commencement ceremonies in 2009.
Chief Judge Michael Scopelitis ruled that William Kirk, former associate vice president for residential life at the University, may be deposed by the Thomas More Society’s special counsel, Tom Dixon, about the decision to arrest and prosecute the pro-lifers. A motion by the prosecution to quash the deposition was overruled, and Chief Judge Scopelitis will pass on any objections arising during the deposition, as he stipulated that it must take place at the St. Joseph County Courthouse.
“This represents a major victory for the defense, and perhaps even a decisive turning point in this case,” said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society.
At a hearing late last week, Dixon argued that the deposition should not be quashed, as Kirk’s testimony would likely shed new light on why Notre Dame had treated the pro-life protesters differently than others. As recently as January 2010, gay rights activists had demonstrated on campus without an allegedly requisite written permit. In sharp contrast, the 88 pro-life demonstrators have been arrested, jailed, charged with trespass and prosecuted.
The Thomas More Society has argued that the ND88 were not criminal trespassers but victims of “viewpoint discrimination,” a violation of the First Amendment, which applied to Notre Dame security police as they exercised statutory arrest powers vested in them under Indiana state law.
Chief Judge Scopelitis will set a date for the deposition in the coming weeks.
The key point is that Thomas More Society has the right to depose documents and other officials about this inconsistency. This goes above and beyond deposing William Kirk, the former University official.
So apparently, on September 22, the saga of the ND88 may have passed a key point.
It sounds like that it is in the best interests of Notre Dame University to drop this litigation.
It may prove very embarrassing to the school in the end...
Ping. Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the ND88.
Bookmarking...
My guess is that the liberals who sit on the board will press the matter just to prove that they are above the Church.
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