Portland Archdiocese Gets Hefty Bill for Sex Abuse
Pastor Dale Morgan
Portland Archdiocese Gets Hefty Bill for Sex Abuse*
Tuesday August 21, 2007 8:16 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Lawyers who worked on the bankruptcy filing of the
Archdiocese of Portland have submitted a legal bill for nearly $19 million.
The tab of over $18.8 million includes $10.8 million in fees and $1
million in expenses charged by four law firms representing the
archdiocese, according to court documents filed Friday. The rest are
expenses and fees charged by attorneys and experts working for other
parties.
In U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the party seeking protection pays legal fees
for both sides.
The archdiocese emerged from bankruptcy in April after 175 people who
claimed they were molested by priests or other church officials agreed
to settle their cases for about $52 million. Another $20 million was set
aside for those who come forward after an agreed deadline.
The archdiocese filed for protection from its creditors in July 2004.
Portland was the first archdiocese in the country to seek bankruptcy
protection from sex abuse litigation. Dioceses in Tucson, Ariz.;
Spokane; Davenport, Iowa; and San Diego have since filed for bankruptcy.