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Plaintiff Seeks Recusal of Catholic Judge In Priest Abuse Trial

By Howard Friedman

In Toledo, Ohio, the attorney for plaintiff in a bizarre priest sexual abuse case is seeking voluntary removal of Judge Ruth Franks from the case because she "may not be able to separate her immutable Catholic upbringing from the claims asserted." Yesterday's Toledo Blade reported on the civil case in which an anonymous plaintiff alleges that, beginning in 1968, she was repeatedly raped and tortured in Satanic rituals by abusers wearing nuns' habits . Only after media publicity when Toledo priest Gerald Robinson was arrested for murder in 2004 did plaintiff realize the identity of her abusers. The other alleged abuser, former lay minister Jerry Mazuchowski, says he believes Judge Franks is impartial. He added: "It's news to me that she was a Catholic and I don't think religion enters into this case at all.... The devil's never busier than he is during Holy Week." (See prior related posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 21, 2008 (boomark / email).