25/08/02
Man says mother coerced brother to accuse priest in abuse suit
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/3912271.htm
ALTOONA, Pa. - The older brother of a man who collected $1.2 million in a clergy molestation lawsuit said his two younger brothers lied. Mark Hutchison, 36, gave a sworn statement in which he said his mother prodded the brothers into falsely accusing a priest and that she promised to split the jury award among the seven-member family. An attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown filed a copy of the 95-page statement Tuesday with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The court is scheduled to hear arguments Sept. 9 about whether the diocese has to pay another $1 million in punitive damages to Michael Hutchison Jr., 35, who now lives in Akron, Ohio. Michael Hutchison sued in 1987 claiming then-Father Francis Luddy, who was his godfather and parish priest, abused him from 1976 to 1984. A Blair County jury only considered his claims for the years 1983 and 1984 due to a statute of limitations. The lawsuit contended the diocese and retired Bishop James J. Hogan had retained Luddy despite knowing he "had a propensity for pedophiliac behavior." Mark Hutchison testified at the trial that Luddy molested him as a child, which Luddy admitted. But he said he knew nothing about any alleged molestation of his brother, Michael. Mark Hutchison has never sued Luddy and still maintains Luddy molested him, said diocesan attorney Carl Eck Jr. Luddy has repeatedly denied that he molested Michael Hutchinson or another brother, Sam, now 33. "Mark has always testified that he was molested ... and Father Luddy immediately admitted that he had molested Mark, but not the other two boys. And that's been our position since 1987," Eck told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "We defended the case because we didn't believe that Michael or Sammy was molested. There would be no reason for (Luddy) to deny it when he admitted doing it to Mark and that would be sufficient to get him out of the church," Eck said. In the statement, Mark Hutchison claims his mother, Mary Hutchison, of Akron, manipulated Michael by threatening to cut off money to him. Attorney Richard Serbin, who represents Michael Hutchison and his mother, said the sexual abuse led his client, who is borderline mentally retarded, into a life of drug abuse and crime. Serbin, who said he planned to file a response next week, refused Wednesday to address specific allegations made against Michael Hutchison or his mother. "I am satisfied the defendants have no legal basis to assert the scandalous and inaccurate information that is in their motions." Sam Hutchison had also sued Luddy, but dropped the case in 1992. He denied his brother's accusations and said his statements against Luddy were not coerced. Eck contends the diocese isn't to blame for Michael Hutchison's problems, because Luddy was immediately removed from public ministry when Mark's allegations came to light in 1987. Luddy was made to undergo counseling, never returned to active ministry, and was officially defrocked in 1998.
Man says mother coerced brother to accuse priest in abuse suit
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/3912271.htm
ALTOONA, Pa. - The older brother of a man who collected $1.2 million in a clergy molestation lawsuit said his two younger brothers lied. Mark Hutchison, 36, gave a sworn statement in which he said his mother prodded the brothers into falsely accusing a priest and that she promised to split the jury award among the seven-member family. An attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown filed a copy of the 95-page statement Tuesday with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The court is scheduled to hear arguments Sept. 9 about whether the diocese has to pay another $1 million in punitive damages to Michael Hutchison Jr., 35, who now lives in Akron, Ohio. Michael Hutchison sued in 1987 claiming then-Father Francis Luddy, who was his godfather and parish priest, abused him from 1976 to 1984. A Blair County jury only considered his claims for the years 1983 and 1984 due to a statute of limitations. The lawsuit contended the diocese and retired Bishop James J. Hogan had retained Luddy despite knowing he "had a propensity for pedophiliac behavior." Mark Hutchison testified at the trial that Luddy molested him as a child, which Luddy admitted. But he said he knew nothing about any alleged molestation of his brother, Michael. Mark Hutchison has never sued Luddy and still maintains Luddy molested him, said diocesan attorney Carl Eck Jr. Luddy has repeatedly denied that he molested Michael Hutchinson or another brother, Sam, now 33. "Mark has always testified that he was molested ... and Father Luddy immediately admitted that he had molested Mark, but not the other two boys. And that's been our position since 1987," Eck told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "We defended the case because we didn't believe that Michael or Sammy was molested. There would be no reason for (Luddy) to deny it when he admitted doing it to Mark and that would be sufficient to get him out of the church," Eck said. In the statement, Mark Hutchison claims his mother, Mary Hutchison, of Akron, manipulated Michael by threatening to cut off money to him. Attorney Richard Serbin, who represents Michael Hutchison and his mother, said the sexual abuse led his client, who is borderline mentally retarded, into a life of drug abuse and crime. Serbin, who said he planned to file a response next week, refused Wednesday to address specific allegations made against Michael Hutchison or his mother. "I am satisfied the defendants have no legal basis to assert the scandalous and inaccurate information that is in their motions." Sam Hutchison had also sued Luddy, but dropped the case in 1992. He denied his brother's accusations and said his statements against Luddy were not coerced. Eck contends the diocese isn't to blame for Michael Hutchison's problems, because Luddy was immediately removed from public ministry when Mark's allegations came to light in 1987. Luddy was made to undergo counseling, never returned to active ministry, and was officially defrocked in 1998.