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CNN Live Today

Rev. Shanley Arraigned in Child Rape Case

Aired May 07, 2002 - 11:09   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And we have news coming out of Boston on the abuse and the scandal coming out of the Catholic Church and concerns about Cardinal Law and his potential availability or lack of availability to testify in upcoming lawsuits.

Let's bring our Jason Carroll in from Boston. A lot of legal action taking place today, not just with Cardinal Law, but with former priest Paul Shanley as well.

Jason, good morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.

Let's start out with what happened just about an hour ago. That was an arraignment for Father Paul Shanley. It ended just a short while ago. Basically what happened is the judge in this case, in this criminal case, asked if Shanley understood the charges that he was facing, three counts of child rape. Prosecutors saying Shanley molested a young boy between 1983 and 1990, at times pulling him out of Catechism class so he could molest him. A plea of not guilty was entered on Shanley's behalf.

At that point the deputy district attorney asked that bail be set at $750,000, saying that Father Paul Shanley presented a tremendous risk of flight. Shanley's attorney, Frank Mondano, argued that Shanley is not a flight risk, saying that he has roots in the community and he lived at the same address in San Diego for the past three years. But the Deputy District Attorney Lynn Rooney argued that she had court -- she provided the court with documents provided to her from the Archdiocese of Boston which seemed to indicate that Shanley had interest in going to Mexico, to Guatemala, to Costa Rica and most recently, in March had traveled to Thailand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNN ROONEY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I would suggest to this court that he is a tremendous risk of flight. The reasons for that, your Honor, within documents that have been provided to our office by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston indicate his intentions to hide his address and to relocate outside of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK MONDANO, ATTORNEY FOR SHANLEY: This is a 71-year-old man, your honor, who's in not the greatest of physical health, who has no inclination to run, no (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to run but has absolutely no criminal record at all in the 71 years of his life. He's here to face the charges, your honor. He made plans to face the charges, your honor. He retained counsel 3,000 miles away who could make the appearances even before he was arrested. I submit, your honor, he is no risk of flight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Well Newton District Court Judge Dyanne Klein set bail at $750,000, saying that Father Paul Shanley did present a risk of flight. She said that if Shanley could make bail, he would have to do so under the following conditions.

First, he would have to surrender his passport. He would have to remain in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Also that he was not to have any contact with any children under the age of 16, and he was not to have any contact with any potential witnesses in this criminal case.

Now, Daryn, I also want to point out that in addition to this criminal case, there is a separate civil case involving Paul Shanley. And an attorney who represents a plaintiff in that case, the attorney being Erik MacLeish, we are now being told later this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. is going to ask a judge that -- set some sort of a court proceeding and court action so that Cardinal Bernard Law cannot leave the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in that civil case. He is scheduled to be deposed on June 5 in that civil case, and Eric MacLeish feels as though Cardinal Law might present some risk of flight. He feels as though that the Vatican might call him out at any moment, and he has concerns that Cardinal Law might leave. In fact, he says Cardinal Law has two passports. So at 2:00 p.m., Eric MacLeish is going to go to a court, a separate court, and ask that the judge issue some sort of ruling so that Cardinal Law would not be permitted to leave the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

So you've got this criminal case, an arraignment with Paul Shanley and then you also have a civil case dealing with Paul Shanley. So there's a lot of -- definitely a lot of court action going on here in the Boston area -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And then in addition to that, Jason, tomorrow in the Geoghan case you have Bernard Law being called to give his deposition because the judge there concerned with many of the same issues.

CARROLL: Exactly. That is a criminal case involving defrocked priest John Geoghan. Yesterday an attorney for some 86 plaintiffs -- excuse me, that's a civil case involving defrocked Priest John Geoghan. An attorney representing some 86 plaintiffs in that civil case asked a judge to make sure that Cardinal Law stays within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He has some concerns about Cardinal Law leaving. Yesterday the judge in that case issued a ruling saying that Cardinal Law would be deposed in that case tomorrow. Still waiting to see if that actually ends up happening -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. And you'll be our man on the scene to tell us just that.

Jason Carroll in Boston, thank you.

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