Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile Priest
Source: NY Times
Bishop Robert W. Finn was found guilty on Thursday on one count of failing to report suspected child abuse, becoming the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States in the decades-long sexual abuse scandals to be convicted of shielding a pedophile priest.
In an abruptly announced bench trial that lasted a little over an hour, Judge John M. Torrence of Jackson County Circuit Court found Bishop Finn guilty of one misdemeanor charge, and not guilty on a second. The charges each carried a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, but Bishop Finn received a sentence of two years of court-supervised probation.
It was a sudden ending to a case that has consumed the church in Kansas City and threatened to turn into a sensational, first-ever trial of a sitting prelate. The case had been scheduled for a jury trial later this month, but on Wednesday the prosecution announced that it would be decided in one afternoon before a judge.
Bishop Finn said in court before he was sentenced, “I am pleased and grateful that the prosecution and the courts have allowed this matter to be completed. The protection of children is paramount.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/us/kansas-city-bishop-convicted-of-shielding-pedophile-priest.html
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