Judge ponders allowing LA archdiocese to black out names of church leaders in priest files
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A judge is weighing whether the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles can release thousands of pages from the confidential files of priests accused of sex abuse with the names of church higher-ups blacked out.
An attorney for The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times will argue Monday that the redactions ordered in 2010 are overbroad and not in the public's interest.
The files are expected to be released any day now, more than five years after the church reached a record-breaking $660 million settlement with more than 550 plaintiffs.
Accused priests have fought the release since 2007, saying it violates their privacy.
The archdiocese says it redacted the documents based on an order from a different judge and changing it will mean a delay in unsealing the files.
