Abuse Scandal in Pennsylvania---Nothing Done

[on_the_hill]

The bill died last night. There won’t be any changes in Pennsylvania law to allow victims to sue abusers if the statute of limitations has expired.

The legislature doesn’t have any more scheduled session days this year. Any new bill would have to start from ground zero in January.

The 5 Tweets that explain the Pa. Legislature's wild final night | Thursday Morning Coffee - pennlive.com

 

[Augustinian]

Pennsylvania, my home state, has a lot of important problems to address in the legistlature.

This issue is “hot” with the recent Grand Jury report and there is an important election coming up in a few weeks. To act in haste to make political points right before the election is usually a bad move regardless of the issue.

This particular bill addresses a long-term problem that isn’t going away. A rush job isn’t necessary- doing it right and addressing it one time next year- seems prudent.

 

[Godfollower]

It probably doesn’t matter anyway. Constitutionally, once a statute of limitations has run, the defendant has a possessory interest in the right not to be sued (civil cases) or charged (criminal cases), and the government can’t take that away. They can extend the limitations period before it runs out (because the defendant hasn’t acquired anything yet); but, once it runs out, the defendant has a vested right not to be sued or charged.

 

[Augustinian]

Constitutionally, once a statute of limitations has run, the defendant has a possessory interest in the right not to be sued (

I’m not a lawyer, I can’t comment on the actual validity of this opinion, however the fact that this opinion exists and is common is a good reason to be very careful on this kind of legislation as it might just be a bonanza for lawyers arguing about it. The legislature may have just avoided opening a can of worms it didn’t want to open.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

While I am sorry (again) for what the abuse victims went through, there are good reasons for having statutes of limitations, and I believe Archbishop Chaput also issued a statement opposing that bill, so I am not sad it died in committee.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

This issue is “hot” with the recent Grand Jury report and there is an important election coming up in a few weeks. To act in haste to make political points right before the election is usually a bad move regardless of the issue.

Yes, and in PA virtually all of this has been politically motivated. PA was my late husband’s home state and he had a very jaundiced view of everyone in politics there.

 

[on_the_hill]

Yes, and in PA virtually all of this has been politically motivated. PA was my late husband’s home state and he had a very jaundiced view of everyone in politics there.

Understandable.
But they’re not all bad. There are some good people there, especially those who have suffered in life and are working to help others avoid those sufferings.

 

[Augustinian]

There are some good people there, especially those who have suffered in life and are working to help others avoid those sufferings.

This can be addressed in the legislative session starting in January. No need to rush this legislation a few weeks before an election.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Of course there are many good people in PA, I married one.
The politicians are often interested in helping their constituents. This is not a bad goal to have. However, they are also very conscious of their own public image as well as patronage considerations.

 

[on_the_hill]

If I buy a Powerball ticket and win, my plan is to give a couple hundred $million to the Church to help pay out settlements so that current parishioners don’t get stuck with the bill. One condition–if even a single founded case of abuse occurs, every remaining penny reverts to me.

 

[on_the_hill]

Of course there are many good people in PA, I married one.

Of course. But I was specifically referring to the good people among the 253 legislators.

 

[tafan2]

Although I as many, want this corruption rooted out of the Church by any means possible, I do think we have to be careful with extending statute of limitations too far. I am not an expert, so cannot say what they should be, but unlimited statute of limitations seem rather dangerous in the absence of incontrovertible physical evidence for most (all?) crimes. We need to remember Blackstone’s words always: " It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer".

 

[on_the_hill]

That’s where my grandparents were married, my parents were married, I was baptized, and my grandparents were buried from, ‘on the hill.’

Now I’m on a different hill.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We need to remember Blackstone’s words always: " It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer".

I agree, but change that to “ten guilty sex offenders” and the average person in the cheap seats will have a meltdown.

 

[on_the_hill]

Right on, man.
The difference is “in” vs “on.” If you’re in the Hill, you’re above Bigelow Boulevard, and gotta be careful out there. if you’re on the Hill, you’re below Bigelow Boulevard, on Polish Hill.

 

[tafan2]

Yes, but that ever prrsent desire for justice regsrdless of the cos always has to be tempered, that is the common law tradition. It has served us well.

 

[Augustinian]

Polish Hill - where Immaculate Heart Church is located- is not “The Hill” which sits at a higher elevation just south of Polish Hill.

Although the “Polish Hill” moniker was substituted for its previous name of “Herron Hill” to really distinguish it from their (mostly black) neighbors above. Herron Ave., the main drag of Polish Hill, connects the two communities.

 

[on_the_hill]

In a different thread, I mentioned how both of my grandfather’s parents worked outside of the home and also helped establish a church/parish. That was Immaculate Heart.

 

[Augustinian]

Right on, man.
The difference is “in” vs “on.” If you’re in the Hill, you’re above Bigelow Boulevard, and gotta be careful out there. if you’re on the Hill, you’re below Bigelow Boulevard, on Polish Hill.

I don’t think you are right here. Ridgway and Ajax Street, above Bigelow are definitely Polish Hill in my book and Arsenal Kielbasa was above Bigelow on Herron as well.

 

[on_the_hill]

on_the_hill:

Right on, man.
The difference is “in” vs “on.” If you’re in the Hill, you’re above Bigelow Boulevard, and gotta be careful out there. if you’re on the Hill, you’re below Bigelow Boulevard, on Polish Hill.

I don’t think you are right here. Ridgway and Ajax Street, above Bigelow are definitely Polish Hill in my book and Arsenal Kielbasa was above Bigelow on Herron as well.

Well…o.k. I’l’l give you that. My dad grew up on Ridgeway, which was definitely Polish Hill.
(Coincidentally, my uncle was a part owner of Arsenal).
But Bigelow is a major landmark that’s easy to visualize.

My dad taught for most of his career at Madison Elementary, which is (was?) at the corner of Milwaukee and Orion. I still don’t get the pronunciation of Orion. They said “Ore-EE-on,” not “Ore-EYE-'n.”