Baltimore Archdiocese Officials Challenge Release of Abuse Report

Officials from the Archdiocese of Baltimore are seeking to block the release of an unredacted report by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which outlines years of child sexual abuse within the archdiocese. The Maryland Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on this matter on Friday.

The petitioners, who remain anonymous, include current and former archdiocese officials and clergy. They are challenging earlier court rulings that allowed the OAG to publish their names in connection with the report. In their appeal, the petitioners argue that the report was intended to "name and shame" individuals based on hearsay and rumors rather than concrete accusations of abuse.

The report is part of the broader Child Victims Act (CVA), which aims to address the long-standing issue of child sexual abuse and has led to thousands of lawsuits against various institutions. In anticipation of potential legal claims arising from the CVA, the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy shortly before the law took effect, with nearly 1,000 claims filed in the bankruptcy proceedings.

In their legal arguments, the petitioners’ attorneys from Zuckerman Spaeder assert that the OAG overstepped its authority in conducting the investigation, which was initiated following a directive from former Governor Larry Hogan in 2015. They contend that this directive exceeded the governor's powers and argue that the OAG's actions threaten the balance of power among state agencies.

The Supreme Court will address several key questions, including whether the OAG had the right to publish information derived from secret grand jury proceedings that identifies uncharged individuals. This case also raises issues regarding the separation of powers between the OAG, state legislature, and local prosecutors.

While the OAG has refrained from commenting on the case, it maintains that its investigation and the publication of the report were conducted lawfully, emphasizing that the report serves to inform the public rather than impose legal consequences.

Reported by HarborBeat based on Maryland Daily Record (source).