APPLETON — The Catholic Diocese of Green Bay agreed to pay $700,000 in settlement of a civil lawsuit brought by two brothers who were molested by the Rev. John Feeney in the 1970s.continue at GB Press Gazette
Outagamie County Judge Nancy Krueger dismissed the case on Monday, based on the agreement reached by the diocese and Todd and Troy Merryfield. The settlement matches the verdict reached at a trial last year. Krueger subsequently overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial after finding a member of the jury was biased.
The case would’ve been re-tried in May.
Green Bay Bishop David Ricken issued a statement Tuesday, apologizing to the Merryfields and all victims of child sexual abuse.
“First and foremost, I would like to say I am truly sorry to Todd Merryfield and Troy Merryfield, as well as their families, for the pain they have endured from child sexual abuse and the lawsuits that followed,” Ricken wrote. “I hope and pray that they can experience God’s healing presence within their hearts.”
The Merryfields couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
John Peterson, an attorney for the brothers, said the settlement eliminates what would’ve been a long road ahead all involved.He predicted the case would’ve gone to appeal regardless of the verdict and would have likely ended up before the state Supreme Court. There was a chance that on appeal, the case would’ve gone to trial for a third time.
GB Diocese statement (pdf)
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