Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Boston Cardinal Bernard Law Faces Third Day of Deposition

Aired May 13, 2002 - 10:08   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: Now we want to move east to the latest in the crisis in the priesthood. Boston Cardinal Bernard Law faces a third day of deposition today. He is being deposed in the civil suit that accuses the archdiocese of endangering children by concealing the predatory sexual misconduct of a priest.

Our Jason Carroll has been following the scandal, and he joins us from Boston with more -- Jason, good morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Daryn. Day three of Cardinal Law's deposition is under way right here at the Archdiocese of Boston. Cardinal Law arrived for his deposition just a few minutes before it was scheduled to begin. One of his assistants joined him, and one of his attorneys arriving with him as well.

The attorney representing the 86 plaintiffs in this civil case says today, he is going to focus on two key elements. First, why Cardinal Law allowed John Geoghan to have access to children, even though there were allegations of sexual abuse? Geoghan was defrocked, and earlier this year, he was convicted of molesting a child. And two, Mitchell Garabedian says he will also focus on why the archdiocese backed out of a multimillion dollar settlement it had reached with the 86 plaintiffs in the case.

Last week during his deposition, Cardinal Law said that the archdiocese and finance council had overruled him on that decision to pay out on that settlement. Cardinal Law also saying last week that he could not remember certain details surrounding allegations of abuse and John Geoghan.

Two of Geoghan's alleged victims will be attending the deposition today. And this morning they say that they hope that this week goes better for them than last week did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MCSORLEY, ALLEGED VICTIM: We do want the truth, and that's why I came here. I wouldn't come here knowing that he was only going to, you know, tell lies and just say, you know, I can't recall this. And you know, when I look into his eyes, I can see there is a lot there that he is holding back.

MARK KEANE, ALLEGED VICTIM: It's satisfying to see him not have an answer for a direct question that people know that when he says, I don't recall, that it's not true. And I don't know what's worse, that he doesn't recall seven boys being raped, or if he is lying about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: The transcripts from Friday's and today's deposition will not be immediately available. That's because last week, the judge in the case, Constance Sweeney, blocked the release of the transcript. Attorneys representing the archdiocese said that they needed more time to review those transcripts before they are released to the public. So now they are going to get about 30 days in order to do that.

And, Daryn, even though today is the last scheduled day of the deposition of Cardinal Law, Richard Garabedian says that he is going to need more time in order to finish deposing him. He says it might take another day or two in order to do that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jason, explain to me a little bit more about this so- called finance council that Bernard Law says that, well, we can't go to settlement, because they say that, you know, we're not going to approve it. But aren't these people who were appointed by the cardinal himself?

CARROLL: They are, and that's what a lot of folks are trying to figure out. The finance council, it turns out, at least according the archdiocese, has final say whenever the archdiocese has to pay out some sort of a settlement or has to pay out any sort of amount of money, $500,000 or more. Cardinal Law said he wasn't aware of it until earlier last week, said that he had no idea that the finance council had this power to overrule him.

So now it becomes a question, Daryn, what takes precedence? Is it civil law or is it cannon law? And I think that's one of the things that they are going to have to work out during this deposition proceeding.

KAGAN: One of the many difficult questions that is still ahead. Jason Carroll in Boston -- Jason, thanks a lot.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com