Ordinarily, I'd be worried about that, too. But if a settlement can't be reached, and this gets to the 9th circuit judges, I think their dislike of the Catholic church will override their liking of criminals. Personally, I don't think the church will let this go that far. What the church should really be worried about is the possibility of a class action RICO filing that seeks distribution of contributions back to parishioners in addition to huge damages. That could break their piggy bank. Catholic seminaries are not supposed to be homosexual bath houses, and churches are not supposed to be pedophilia rings. Had the church not made representations of moral rectitude in solicitation of funds from parishioners, nobody could accuse them of defrauding their adherents. But they did both and none of it can be whistled back. How ironic that Mahony hails from Hollywood and how sad that this church's negligence and complicity have now classed it among drug-dealing motorcycle gangs, hooded klansmen and mafia kingpins in the eyes of the law.
God's forgiveness does not absolve civic or civil accountability for their actions.