Timeline: Key dates in NJ's legal fight over investigating clergy sex abuse scandal
New Jersey's highest court ruled on June 16 that the Attorney General's Office has the right to launch a grand jury investigation into allegations of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
Here's a look at the long and circuitous road to the Supreme Court's momentous decision:
Aug. 14, 2018 — A landmark Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy abuse is released, documenting widespread abuse of children over decades and efforts by church officials to cover it up.
Look back in NJ news: Catholic priest sex abuse investigation called for by New Jersey lawmaker
Sept. 6, 2018 — Inspired by the Pennsylvania effort, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announces a task force to investigate clergy abuse accusations in the Garden State. The task force established a hotline, which has received over 550 reports.
Feb. 11, 2019 — New Jersey's five Catholic dioceses establish a victim's compensation fund, which offered financial settlements to eligible victims who agreed not to sue.Dec. 1, 2019 — After state legislators passed the Child Victims Act, New Jersey suspended its statute of limitations for the filing of civil lawsuits in alleged abuse cases. Hundreds who said they were victimized as children filed against the dioceses, Boy Scouts and other groups.
Oct. 1, 2020 — The Camden Diocese files for bankruptcy, citing millions of dollars in liabilities owed to abuse survivors as well as revenue losses due to the COVID pandemic.
May 3, 2021 — The Camden Diocese files a motion challenging the state's right to create a special grand jury to investigate clergy abuse claims.
Grand jury investigation: NJ Supreme Court says state investigation of Catholic clergy sexual abuse can go forward
May 25, 2023 — Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw sides with Camden, blocking the grand jury. Warshaw rules the special grand jury process is limited to inquiries into public officials and agencies. He also agrees to keep the challenge and his decision under seal.
Feb. 5, 2025 — After a higher court lifts the order to keep the case secret, The Record and Northjersey.com publish a report revealing the diocese's legal challenge.April 28 — The state Supreme Court hears arguments from both sides, the final showdown in the long legal fight.
May 7 — Days after the oral arguments, but before a decision is known, Camden's new bishop, John A. Williams, says the diocese is withdrawing its objection in a sign of good faith to abuse victims.
June 16 — The New Jersey Supreme Court rules in the Attorney General's favor, allowing the grand jury investigation to proceed.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Timeline: NJ clergy abuse investigation upheld by Supreme Court ruling
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
22 minutes ago
- Fox News
WATCH LIVE: Trump returning to Washington after cutting Canada trip short
All times eastern Legends & Lies: The Real West FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: Trump returning to Washington after cutting Canada trip short
Fox News
22 minutes ago
- Fox News
AFT's Randi Weingarten slams Trump in ‘No Kings Day' protest speech
All times eastern Legends & Lies: The Real West FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: Trump returning to Washington after cutting Canada trip short
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Las Vegas police disrupt ‘grandparent scam' where seniors lost thousands
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Several young men are accused of running a so-called 'grandparent scam' where older adults are convinced a family member, often a grandchild, is in jail and needs money to post bail or pay a lawyer, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Matthew Acquah, Manuel Rivera and Ashton Turunc face charges connected to at least 16 thefts where the victim was over the age of 60, documents said. After convincing their victim to hand over large amounts of money, 'the suspects then [made] arrangements to have a rideshare… to pick up the money and deliver it to the suspects,' documents said. In all, police suspect the scheme netted the group nearly $186,000. 'There were over a hundred 'attempts' where the conspirator would give [the driver] an address, but no […] driver was ever sent,' documents said. 'Some addresses that were sent were from hours away from the Las Vegas area, including Reno, McGill, NV; Scottsdale, AZ; Fountain Hill, AZ; Washington, UT; [and] Saint George, UT.' In January 2024, a grandmother received a call from a person she believed was her grandson, documents said. The person on the call said her grandson was in jail and he needed $25,000 for bail, documents said. The woman withdrew cash from a bank and later handed it to a courier. 'After handing the envelope to the driver, she received a second phone call back, from the 'public defender,'' police said about the scam. 'The '[public defender] explained to [the victim] that her grandson had hit a pregnant lady and was losing the baby. Due to losing the baby, the bond had been raised an additional $10,000 and would be needed to get their grandson out of jail. She then went back to the bank, took out an additional $10,000, and packaged it the same way as the first package. After sending out the package, to a second driver, the caller explained that she would receive a phone call back… to let her know the outcome of her grandson's case. However, she never received another call.' Another victim took a photo of a suspect vehicle, leading them to a student at a Summerlin high school. Detectives also obtained text messages and Snapchat conversations that showed members of the group talking about the thefts and showing large amounts of cash, documents said. In one photo, one of the young men poses with several $100 bills and then 'kisses the bills and then licks his finger and rubs it over the camera lens,' police said. As part of their investigation, Metro detectives discovered a similar scam in Ventura County, California, they said. In one case, a woman in her 90s withdrew thousands of dollars from a bank, believing a relative needed 'bail money.' 'Both Rivera and Acquah are above the age of 18 during the commission of these crimes,' documents said. 'Rivera and Acquah were directing and instructing Turunc on where to pick up the money obtained fraudulently from these victims. They also provided Turunc with account numbers to deposit the money and instructed them to keep deposits under $10,000 to avoid reporting from the banks. Both Rivera and Acquah should have known Turunc was a minor due to him being in high school.' Court documents indicate Turunc was 17 at the time of the allegations. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit theft and theft, records said. Acquah and Rivera face charges of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretense and obtaining money by false pretense, records said. The FBI warns grandparents and grandchildren to limit their social media posts and keep them private, so scammers cannot exploit the relationship. Complaints can be filed with the FBI at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
