Marsh Law Firm in the News
View AllFormer Catholic brother speaks out about church sex abuse scandal
Allegations of sex abuse within the Catholic Church have been widespread for years, but it’s not often that someone from within the clergy talks about the ... moreBuffalo-area Boy Scout leaders linked to sex abuse involving children
More than two dozen Boy Scout leaders from the Buffalo area have been charged by police with molesting children or morals crimes involving children or were barred ... moreLawsuits expected as dozens of WNY Boy Scout leaders accused of sex abuse
Ronald C. Williams has served prison sentences in three states for child sex abuse felony convictions over the past 28 years. But Williams' penchant for sexually ... moreBoy Scouts Could Be Hit With More Sex Abuse Claims
Sexual abuse settlements have already strained the Boy Scouts' finances to the point where the organization is exploring "all available options," including Chapter ... moreMan sues Iona Prep over alleged sexual abuse by teacher 40 years ago
A man is suing Iona Prep in New Rochelle claiming he was abused by a brother and teacher from the school about 40 years ago. Richard Cardillo tells News 12 that ... moreWomen Sexually Abused By Catholic Nuns Speak Up: She Told Me It Was ‘God’s Love’
Two survivors share stories of grooming, emotional manipulation and sexual abuse by nuns in the Catholic Church. The predator nun walked into Trish Cahill’s ... moreFormer Iona Prep student alleges abuse by Irish Christian Brothers, culture of silence
Schools in New York and New Jersey moved around — what lawyers claim is — one of the most prolific abusers of the Irish Christian Brothers. Ferro is one ... moreWhat Do the Church’s Victims Deserve?
The Catholic Church is turning to outside arbiters to reckon with its history of sexual abuse. But skeptics argue that its legacy of evasion continues. An ... moreCatholic Religious Orders Brace for New Wave of NY Lawsuits
An attorney who targets accused pedophile priests says lawsuits filed under New York’s Child Victims Act could ravage the finances of some Catholic religious ... moreNY Law Firms Taking More Child Sex Abuse Cases in Wake of New Law's Enactment
Law firms in New York state have already started working on several cases soon to be brought by victims of child sexual abuse after a bill was signed into law ... moreWith Ink Not Yet Dry on the New York Child Victims Act, There Is Already Reason to Be Concerned About the Victims in this Process
Class actions are designed for circumstances where the victims have identical or nearly identical harm, or where such small monetary amounts are at stake that individual suits are implausible.
This cannot be permitted to happen to the sex abuse victims in New York, after 15 years of enormous effort to pass the Child Victims Act, who are supposed to be receiving a chance at full justice. The good news is that the class action lawsuit was filed in federal court where class actions must give victims a right to “opt out” of the lawsuit. So every victim will have the opportunity to think carefully about whether a “quickie” class action settlement is truly in her or his best interest.
The public policy problem, though, is that this is a great way for lawyers to benefit while survivors are once again made second-class participants in their own journey to justice. It’s bad enough they were victimized as children; and then they were re-victimized by insultingly short SOLs; but to be re-victimized after the CVA passes by not being taken individually and seriously in their own lawsuit constitutes the wrong result. It violates the spirit and the intent of the Child Victims Act so many labored so long to actualize.
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