NJ court to allow clergy inquiry
Grand jury may hear abuse claims against priests
By: Denna Yellin
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... New Jersey can proceed with a special grand jury investigating alleged sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and whether the state's dioceses took any steps to cover it up, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Monday, June 16. [2025]
.....
This decision marks the end of a years-long court battle between the Catholic diocese of Camden and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, which first proposed the statewide probe seven years ago.
..... In his ruling, Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said a lower court that sided with the diocese should have followed protocols and allowed the grand jury to proceed, at least until it had submitted a report, or resentment, on its findings.
..... "No grand jury has completed an investigation, and no presentment exists," Rabner wrote. "Courts cannot presume the outcome of an investigation in advance or the contents of a presentment that has not yet been written. it was therefore premature for the trial court to conclude that any potential presentment in this matter had to be suppressed.
..... "The State has the right to proceed with its investigation and present evidence before a special grand jury," continued.
..... Earlier rulings by the lower court sided with the Camden Dioceses, which asserted hat the state could not investigate the church because it is a private entity.
..... The Camden diocese also maintained that a grand jury investigation would be unfair to dozens of clergy members, some alive but many deceased, who would lack the ability to challenge the grand jury's findings.
..... Clergy abuse survivors and their advocates praised the Supreme Court decision.
..... "No individual or any institution, not even the Catholic Church, should be above the law when it comes to having to answer for their crimes. Today's [06/13/2025] decision is a huge victory for survivors. It is because of their courage and tenacity that the Catholic Church is forced to address their crimes,' said Greg Gianforcaro, a Philipsburg-based attorney who repentants clergy abuser victims around the country.
.....
Abuse victims had long been frustrated by the delay of New Jersey's investigation into decades of allegations. the reason behind the delay was not clear until this February, [2025] when the Record and NorthJersey.com reported that Camden had won a lower-court ruling to block a grand jury from convening and persuaded the trail judge to keep the decision sealed.
..... The state's other four Catholic dioceses - Paterson, Trenton and Metuchen and the Archdiocese of Newark - did not challenge the investigation, but the legal wrangling froze the inquiry into there citrons as well.
..... "We are grateful for the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision this morning [06/16/2025] confirming what we have maintained throughout the lengthy court battle: that there was no basis to stop the state from pursuing a grand jury presentment on statewide sexual abuse by clergy and the conditions that allowed it to go unchecked for so long," New Jersey Assistant Attorney General Lyndsay Ruotolo said in a statement.
..... "We remain as committed today as throughout these past seven years to doing all we can to support survivors and advance the healing they deserve," Ruoloto said.
..... In early May, [2025] Bishop Josh A Williams, who became bishop of the Camden Diocese in March, [2025] announced that he had met with the diocese's trustees and they had unanimously agreed to end their battle to prevent the state attorney general form presenting the findings of the clergy abuse task force to a grand jury.
..... Williams said dropping the legal fight should demonstrate to clergy abuse survivors hat the church wants to "win their trust, restore their faith."
..... By that time, however, the case had already been argued before the state Supreme Court, and the justices went ahead with deciding the legal question.