US supreme court rejects appeal from lawyer punished over effort to remove abusive priest
Summary
The US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from Richard Trahant, an attorney fined $400,000 for actions related to removing a priest accused of abuse from a high school chaplain role. Trahant represented victims in a Catholic Church abuse bankruptcy case and raised concerns about the priest's past misconduct, which led to a legal dispute over sharing confidential information.Key Facts
- Richard Trahant was fined $400,000 for allegedly violating a court protective order.
- Trahant worked with clients victimized in the New Orleans Catholic archdiocese clergy abuse scandal.
- The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2020 due to abuse claims.
- Priest Paul Hart admitted in a church investigation to sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl in the early 1990s.
- Under state law, the age of consent was 17, but church law set it at 18 after 2002.
- Archbishop Gregory Aymond allowed Hart to continue ministry despite board advice to remove him.
- Hart served as chaplain at Brother Martin High School starting in 2017.
- Trahant informed the school principal about the priest’s past but did not share details due to a court protective order.
- The priest retired after the school requested removal, citing health reasons.
- A judge fined Trahant, but he denied sharing confidential information with reporters or school officials.
- The Supreme Court’s decision means the fine and ruling against Trahant stands.
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