$20.8 Million Settlement Agreement Announced in Prison Sexual Abuse Case
Williams Cedar along with co-counsel Barry Corrado & Grassi PC, Mark B. Frost & Associates, and Stark & Stark, PC, is proud to announce the $20.8 Million settlement in a case involving the prison sexual abuse and physical abuse of inmates at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
The $20,835,600 in damages and attorney fees will be distributed amongst women who were directly impacted by the prison sexual abuse and sexual misconduct at the Edna Mahan facility between 2014 and the date at which the settlement agreement was signed.
Previously in April of 2020, the Department of Justice had issued a Investigation Report that found that prison sexual abuse had been a longstanding problem at the prison that the administration had failed to address. The DOJ cited multiple examples of investigations, convictions, guilty pleas, etc. that are corroborative of the allegation supporting that overriding claim. This settlement also comes less than eight months after the trial court ruled that the plaintiffs satisfied the requirements for class-action treatment. The litigation alleged at its core that that inmates at the New Jersey’s only women’s prison were subjected to a longstanding and pervasive atmosphere of prison sexual abuse that had gone unchecked for years.
“Coming to a resolution that both compensates past victims and works to prevent future victims would not have been possible without the bravery of the women who came forward, the tireless efforts of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, and the willingness from the legislature, courts, and, ultimately, from the Department of Corrections itself to listen to the victims,” said Williams Cedar attorney Shauna Friedman. Ms. Friedman also lauded the settlement team of attorneys for collaboratively addressing numerous issues at the prison, and hopes this settlement represents a commitment by the current administration to squarely face and work through the problems that have plagued Edna Mahan.
Also included in the settlement is the institution of body cameras to be worn by the NJDOC staff. This step was an important step in the development of safer confinement conditions in all NJDOC facilities moving forward.
Read the full NJDOC release.
Catholic Church Spent $10.6M Lobbying Against Clergy Abuse Bills
A new report reveals how the Roman Catholic Church spent millions of dollars from 2011 to 2018 to stop reforms aimed at making it easier for survivors of clergy abuse to sue for damages.
The report, entitled Church Influencing State: How the Catholic Church Spent Millions Against Survivors of Clergy Abuse, was commissioned by the law firms of Williams Cedar, Seeger Weiss LLP, Abraham Watkins, and the Simpson Tuegel Law Firm. Collectively, these law firms represent more than 300 survivors of clergy sex abuse nationwide.
According to the report, lobbying efforts by the Catholic Church reached across eight northeastern states. In Pennsylvania, more than $5.3 million was spent in an effort to keep the rules that limit the amount of time survivors can pursue legal claims in place. In New York, the Church spent nearly $3 million in a failed attempt to block the passage of the Child Victim’s Act, which broadened the timeframe for survivors of child sex abuse to file claims against their abusers. More than $633,000 was spent by the Church in New Jersey, where the statute of limitations was expanded just last month.
According to an NBC news report, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said that the extensive lobbying by the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania against the reforms recommended by the Pennsylvania Grand Jury proves the Church cannot be trusted to police itself. View the press release here.
The attorneys at Williams Cedar are dedicated to giving voice to survivors of clergy abuse and holding accountable all persons and institutions responsible for inflicting suffering and pain. Contact us online or call 856-470-9777 or 215-557-0099 today to arrange a free and confidential consultation with an experienced and dedicated New Jersey clergy abuse lawyer.
From our offices in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, New Jersey, we represent clients throughout the surrounding areas, including those in Camden, Cherry Hill, Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey as well as those in Allentown, Scranton, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Greensburg, Johnstown, Eerie, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
NJ Dioceses Publish List of Abusive Priests
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, five Catholic dioceses in New Jersey published a list of more than 180 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors over several decades. New Jersey joins more than two dozen other states who have published similar reports, most notably a landmark grand jury report released in Pennsylvania in 2018.
View the complete list here.
For more information as to how our experienced legal team can help, visit our clergy abuse website dedicated solely to helping victims of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of clergy members.