Los Angeles, Calif., Jul 1, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles plans to petition a federal judge and request to join a constitutional challenge to a California law, which allowed hundreds of alleged victims of sex abuse by clergy to file suit against the Church, reported The Associated Press.
Lawyers for the archdiocese argue that the law unfairly targets the Catholic Church and makes it liable for alleged abuse, which, in some cases, dates back 70 years.
The law, passed in 2002, temporarily rolled back the state’s statute of limitations in civil cases. It allowed victims to file claims against the archdiocese by Dec. 31, 2003.
The archdiocese will continue to negotiate settlements with the more than 500 cases – which were filed after the law was passed – as it challenges the law in federal court, archdiocese attorney J. Michael Hennigan told the AP.