Court Reverses Philadelphia Monsignor's Conviction

A landmark criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic monsignor imprisoned for his handling of sexual-abuse allegations was overturned Thursday by a Pennsylvania appeals court. Msgr. Lynn, who served in …More
A landmark criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic monsignor imprisoned for his handling of sexual-abuse allegations was overturned Thursday by a Pennsylvania appeals court.
Msgr. Lynn, who served in the Philadelphia Archdiocese as a top aide to its archbishop, could be released as early as this week, his lawyer said. He already has served 18 months of a three-to-six-year sentence after a Pennsylvania jury last year found him guilty of child endangerment for allowing a priest accused of sexual abuse to continue to have contact with children.
In overturning his conviction, the court said it "cannot dispute" that there "was more than adequate evidence" presented at trial showing that Msgr. Lynn "prioritized the Archdiocese's reputation over the safety of potential victims of sexually abusive priests."
But, the court said, that wasn't sufficient to prove that Msgr. Lynn was guilty of child endangerment or had "specific information that [the accused priest] intended or was preparing to molest …More
Abramo
I am afraid, Lynn was condemned because he is a priest.