After several years of fitful negotiations, the Los Angeles Archdiocese and attorneys for about 45 alleged victims of sexual abuse are moving toward settlements that would pay out an average of at least $1 million per claim and resolve many cases that have occurred during the tenure of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, according to lawyers familiar with the discussions.
Although the agreement would involve fewer than 10% of the more than 560 cases pending against the archdiocese, the resolution of cases involving alleged clergy abuse since Mahony became archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985 would have great significance.
If concluded as currently described, the settlement of the 45 cases would become the third largest in the nationwide clergy sex abuse scandal. It would also set a tentative benchmark for the total cost of the remaining cases against the archdiocese, which is the nation's biggest. Plaintiffs' lawyers have said the total could surpass $1 billion -- a figure that would dwarf all previous payouts by the Catholic Church in such cases.
And, according to sources close to the negotiations, the settlement would include some of the archdiocese's most notable cases: those involving Michael Baker, Richard Henry, Carlos Rodriguez and Michael Wempe. Despite earlier abuse allegations against them, the clergymen allegedly molested children after Mahony allowed them to remain in ministry without alerting police or parishioners.
The lawyers declined to say whether a settlement would involve the release of internal church documents, which Mahony has sought to shield.
Most of the money to settle the cases currently under negotiation would come directly from archdiocesan funds. That is because those instances of alleged abuse primarily occurred during the last two decades, while the archdiocese was self-insured. The self-insurance also means that the church can settle the cases without negotiating with insurance companies.
Lawyers for the church have accused the insurers of dragging their feet on settling other cases. Insurers have said the archdiocese forfeited coverage by covering up for the sexual misdeeds of its priests.
San Diego attorney Andrea Leavitt, who represents a woman allegedly impregnated by her parish priest when she was 17, confirmed Thursday that the long-stalled negotiations had restarted.
