Priest Sex Abuse Victim's Lawyers Claim Most of His $900,000 Settlement

The Oregonian ^ | 1/4/11 | Aimee Green

[marshmallow]

A man who was molested as a child by a Portland priest -- then secured a $900,000 settlement from the church -- has yet to see a penny more than seven years after the church paid out the money.

In a lawsuit filed this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the man alleges that attorneys who represented him in the case managed to claim $877,000 of the settlement, leaving him with no more than $23,000. Yet the man, identified only by his initials, G.B., hasn't seen a check for any amount.

According to the suit, G.B. has been living off $400 to $500 a month in Social Security disability payments. Little else has been disclosed about G.B., other than he's suffered a lifetime of damage because of the abuse, which occurred while he was a student at All Saints School in Northeast Portland by the Rev. Thomas Laughlin. Laughlin was kicked out of the priesthood in 1983 after being convicted of molesting boys.

"He was supposed to get some compensation for what happened to him as a kid, and he didn't," said Jack Polance, the Portland attorney seeking close to $700,000, plus interest, for G.B. in this week's suit.

The suit reveals how an unusual sequence of events left a victim of childhood sexual abuse with next to nothing. The suit also has upset the legal community, raising questions about the professionalism of at least one of the attorneys involved -- and fueled concerns about potential damage to the public image of attorneys.

David Paul, a prominent Portland attorney who is not related to G.B.'s case but has represented dozens of other victims of sexual abuse, finds the outcome of G.B.'s case disturbing. He said a client's settlement should never be consumed almost entirely by attorneys fees.

[marshmallow]

The suit also has upset the legal community, raising questions about the professionalism of at least one of the attorneys involved -- and fueled concerns about potential damage to the public image of attorneys.

Um...I think we've already passed that point, guys. About 40 years ago.

[FlingWingFlyer]

...attorneys who represented him in the case managed to claim $877,000 of the settlement, leaving him with no more than $23,000.

That's funny. I don't care who you are. That's funny right there. LOL!

[muawiyah]

"Public image"? Or was that "Pubic image"?

Think of this poor guy ~ same treatment from the clergy and the law profession.

I'd say that's some really bad luck.

[marshmallow]

I thought this was a spoof when I first saw the headline.......

[muddler]

Damage to the public image of attorneys. Good one, ha ha.

[FlingWingFlyer]

It looks to me like he has been molested again. This time by a bunch of shysters.

[TwoSwords]

That second lawyer must be licking his chops. Love to see this kind of cannibalism.

[TennesseeProfessor]

The problem is that the 99% of bad apples give the rest of them a bad name!

[Tainan]

David Paul, a prominent Portland attorney who is not related to G.B.'s case but has represented dozens of other victims of sexual abuse, finds the outcome of G.B.'s case disturbing. He said a client's settlement should never be consumed almost entirely by attorneys fees.

Thats right Mr. Paul...a "good" attorney should never leave crumbs on the table. Take it ALL!

[blackdog]

At least the priest only robbed you on sundays and gave the alter boys a little something extra on monday.

Hell is going to have a hard time with who gets in first. My money is on the lawyers, followed by the child molesters.

I wonder why the social security administration didn't take a claim on the settlement? If the guy has been collecting disability income due to damages to his psyche from the priest, why is the taxpayer footing the bill?

As my grandmother alway's said, "nothing good happens after midnight, never call the police for anything, and never be alone in a room with clergy".

[count-your-change]

Time to stand the client on his head and shake out those last few pennies. Hard to imagine why the barristers left $23, 000.

[Billthedrill]

Bleak House redux. The law is an ass.

[hinckley buzzard]

Welcome to the wonderland of "tort law," where criminal shysters get rich and plaintiffs get to suck hind tit. A cautionary tale for those who would seek to parlay their larcenous impulse into easy money. Nothing new here, screwing plaintiffs is a hallowed principle of the Law as we know it, 21st century version.

[arthurus]

Sex abuse followed by Legal abuse. The worst are the “class action” suits that lawyer firms are drumming up all the time for this, that, and everything else. They sign up huge numbers of people and get a tremendous settlement - tremendous if it were for one “victim”- and the thousands of parties to the suit all get checks for $3.82 while the half dozen attorneys share up 13 mil. We need true tort reform- true loser pays(loser attorney).

[Cyman]

And he complained he got screwed before. Priests are amateurs, lawyers not only do it with impunity but they are also the ones that make the laws.

[Cheetahcat]

I would hire a couple thugs to pay the Lawyers a visit while I was a 1000 miles away.

[TheBattman]

Maybe I missed something... but he is on disability? Is it somehow related to his abuse as a boy? Is he trying to suck off the taxpayer too?

Or is this part of the “conceal his identity” efforts?

Then again - is $900K the price of allowing a priest to molest a boy?

[eaglesiniowa]

Why cheat yourself of the pleasure? With this guy’s history of mental problems he could easily claim temporary insanity. Those “lawyers/leeches” should be afraid, very afraid.

[mewykwistmas]

“...attorneys who represented him in the case managed to claim $877,000 of the settlement, leaving him with no more than $23,000.

That’s funny. I don’t care who you are. That’s funny right there. LOL! “

---

It’s not about $$ dontachs know, it about justice and to send the Vatican a message ;)
Lawyers have reached a new low, maybe sending the victim a bill is the next step.

[Cheetahcat]

“Why cheat yourself of the pleasure? With this guy’s history of mental problems he could easily claim temporary insanity. Those “lawyers/leeches” should be afraid, very afraid.”

Excellent point.