Catholic Church Dealt Blow by U.S. Supreme Court
Ginsberg decides documents do not need to remain sealed while appeal is made
Tuesday, Aug 25, 2009 | Updated 6:15 PM EDT
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The Church is fighting to keep 12,000 pages of documents under wraps. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the request.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg dealt the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport a major blow Tuesday. The church wants to hang on tight to 12,000 pages of documents from more than 20 lawsuits against priests. Ginsberg declined to keep those sealed while nation's high court decides whether it will review the case.
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that those documents should be unsealed, but while the case is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court, Ginsburg decision to continue a stay effectively said the documents should be released.
The records could reveal details on how retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan handled allegations when he was bishop in Bridgeport from 1988 to 2000.
An attorney for the diocese, Ralph Johnson III, said church officials are considering whether to ask all nine justices to rule on the stay request.
