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The only entity that could bring true justice to the victims was the justice system. It was imperative that these men be charged with the crimes they committed and serve the time. Because of the statute of limitations on some of the molestation cases, and the lack of concrete evidence for the others, there were only two priests charged, tried and jailed in connection with the sexual abuse cases in Boston; Porter from Fall River and Geoghan from Boston. It was important that their cases be as public as possible; it was necessary that the community be a part of putting them away for a very long time, and it be a warning to others who might be thinking of molesting children or young adults.

Cardinal Law only had the power to remove these priests from their faculties in the Diocese, he could not hand them over to the police. That would have required the permission of the children's parents, who were, in many of the cases, reluctant to force their children into the public eye. Or as someone mentioned, it was possible that they were intimidated into not bringing charges.

To the extent that anything Cardinal Law might have delayed that outcome, he would be responsible, but the AG didn't find anything that the Cardinal did that was illegal, even though the AG stated in the press conference that he wished he had found something on Law. The fact that Law tried to help Geoghan seems reprehensible to people who wanted to see him pay for his crime, but Law felt that it was his duty in his capacity as Geoghan's 'Pastor' to minister to him even while acknowledging that he had sinned and committed these horrendous crimes against children and young people.