Appellate Court Blocks Much of Seton Hall McCarrick Report, Orders Release of 1 Section
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 16
Appellate Court Blocks Much of Seton Hall McCarrick Report, Orders Release of 1 Section
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 16
Summary
A New Jersey appellate panel reversed a lower-court order and shielded most of Seton Hall’s McCarrick investigation from release, finding attorney-client privilege covered the Latham & Watkins report.
The judges said Superior Court Judge Avoin Benjamin erred because Latham acted as an agent of Seton Hall’s counsel, Gibbons P.C., preserving privilege between the university and the investigators.
The panel also ruled that sharing the report with the Vatican did not waive privilege, saying Seton Hall provided it in furtherance of a shared effort to investigate McCarrick’s abuse.
One part still must be disclosed: the report’s self-critical review of Seton Hall policies and procedures, which the court said serves the public interest; the anonymous survey covered 59 seminarians.
Survivors’ lawyer Gabriel Magee said he welcomed the order to release some material but was still reviewing the ruling and considering an appeal.