$17,050,000 Settlement During Trial – Clergy Sexual Abuse

After three weeks of trial in Oakland, California, in 2003, we concluded what was then the largest California court settlement for a single victim of sexual molestation by a Catholic priest. Our client was a 15-year-old altar boy in 1979 and 1980 when he was sexually molested by his pastor. Evidence was introduced at trial showing multiple molestations by several priests of the Oakland Diocese. Although the pastor had denied molesting the boy in his deposition, we were able to obtain an admission of molestation during his testimony at trial. The Alameda County jury was shown multiple instances of molestation by other Oakland Diocese priests as a pattern of conduct that had been continuously ignored by the church. The Oakland Diocese paid $1,050,000 to settle their part of the case.