February 14, 2023
Judge rules against Portland diocese, allows childhood abuse lawsuits to move forward
PORTLAND (ME)
The Portland Press Herald [Portland ME]
February 14, 2023
By Emily Allen
Read original articleA Maine judge upheld the constitutionality of a law that allows Mainers with previously-expired claims of child sexual abuse to sue their alleged perpetrators for damages.
A judge has found that a Maine law removing the statute of limitations for civil claims of childhood sexual abuse claims is constitutional.
The 2021 law has prompted more than a dozen people to sue the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, with claims stretching as far back as the 1950s. The diocese argued the law is unconstitutional because it creates new liability and exposes the church to “tens of millions of dollars” in potential claims.
Cumberland County Superior Justice Thomas McKeon’s ruling Tuesday means the cases could proceed to trial. But the pre-trial discovery process is still paused in case the diocese decides to appeal the judge’s decision to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
Lawmakers agreed to remove all remaining…
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