A New Orleans judge said in court Friday that if there is no confirmation of a plan for the Archdiocese bankruptcy case, she would move to dismiss it.
Judge Meredith Grabill said in court Friday that if the Archdiocese could not make enough progress in the settlement case with abuse survivors, she would move to dismiss the case.
That decision could potentially come by October.
Attorneys for the Archdiocese were against Grabill’s position, asking the judge to not let speed take over due process.
Grabill said she could not ignore the survivor’s motions to dismiss, and set several dates in the case.
The first date set was July 15 for a settlement plan to be filed and eventually voted on.
The vote for the settlement could happen on Aug. 8. If all goes to plan, a trial date could be set for October.
The proposed settlement totals $180 million and would be put into a trust for the benefit of survivors. The settlement is pending approval by the Bankruptcy Court, abuse survivors, and other Archdiocese creditors.
For the settlement to move forward, two-thirds of the 600 claimants would have to be in favor of the settlement.
Attorneys for the diocese and attorneys for the survivors’ committee want to end the bankruptcy and come to a conclusion.
“We are in a short timeframe,” an attorney for the Archdiocese said.
In court, attorneys stressed that they want to present a fair plan to conclude the case.
“We are at the period where we can move forward and wrap this case up. We are very close to that resolution,” said a commercial committee representative.
One attorney for the survivors’ committee said he has concerns.
“I do worry about the survivors,” the attorney said. “We need to make sure timetables are adequate to give survivors opportunity on what they vote for.”
According to the attorney, the sale of Christopher Homes is one of the biggest components when it comes to the settlement plan.
This comes as the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish have agreed to a sale involving Hope Haven in Marrero. The sale was approved for $3.85 million, according to court records.
Jefferson Parish Councilman Deano Bonano issued the following statement regarding the sale:
“Jefferson Parish, along with State Senator Pat Connick, were pleased to learn this week that the court overseeing the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ bankruptcy proceedings formally approved the sale of the property known as the “Hope Haven Campus” to Jefferson Parish.
“This campus had been previously leased to the Parish by the Archdiocese for 99 years for a dollar per year. The purchase of this property will void the lease and remove the restrictions placed on the use of the property by the Church.
“Jefferson Parish plans to develop this multi acre site into a center for health and fitness for the West Bank. The funding for the purchase comes from a combination of state monies and Jefferson Parish Council District 2 improvement funds.
“The Parish has committed to placing a monument at this site in honor of all the abuse victims.”
Soren Gisleson, an attorney representing survivors in the case, said they have been shut out of the settlement process entirely. He also said he feels some survivors have been excluded.
Gisleson asked for two months to take depositions and question Archbishop Gregory Aymond.
WDSU reached out to the Archdiocese of New Orleans for a statement. At the time of this publication a response had not been received.
READ MORE:Judge urges Archdiocese to finalize plan for settlement or bankruptcy case will be dismissed
