Church Law to Supersede US Law?
The March 2 East Valley/Scottsdale (Arizona) Tribune reported in an article titled, “Jury Decision Could Rest on Church Law:”
“A state grand jury may soon be asked to do what perhaps no other has before: consider religious law in deciding whether to charge someone with a crime. The case is that of Dennis Riccitelli, a former Roman Catholic priest charged in 2004 with fraud and stealing thousands of dollars from his Mesa church.”
“In the middle of last year, while the case was preparing for trial, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge decided those criminal charges were flawed - in part because prosecutors didn't tell the grand jury about the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, known as canon law.”
“Riccitelli's lawyers had argued the priest was acting within Catholic law when he supposedly used real estate and check-writing schemes to line his own pockets with about $160,000 of the church's money. Under canon law, a priest has the right to spend his church's money however he sees fit, his lawyers told the judge. So likely no matter how he used the church's money, he could not have run afoul of Arizona law.”
“After hearing the argument, Judge Silvia Arellano decided Riccitelli didn't get a fair shot with the grand jury. She threw out the case and told prosecutors to try again. If they wanted to make the charges against Riccitelli stick, she ruled, they'd have to tell the grand jurors about the Roman Catholic brand of law.”
“’Church law and policies are directly relevant in determining whether (the) defendant committed the crimes he is charged with,’ Arellano wrote. Arellano's decision appears to be unprecedented in the state. In no other case has a judge decided that religious law should be used to examine potential crimes, according to lawyers involved with the case and a national legal expert.”
Comment - Champagne corks must be popping in every diocesan office in the country!! The Roman Church has, along with other liberals, been agitating for US courts to look at laws outside of US law in making judicial decisions.
This is a frightening legal decision. If it sticks, look for Catholic lawyers in the future to quote this legal “precedent” set by Judge Senora Arellano. Where could this lead: Could a Moslem kill his wife and not be charged because Islamic law may allow it? Could Mormons go back to polygamy? Could priests have free reign in stealing money from churches?
Rome has always been the enemy of free, Protestant nations, and has incessantly worked for their destruction. Are you praying daily that God protect the United States from the Roman Catholic Church? If not, please start.
“A state grand jury may soon be asked to do what perhaps no other has before: consider religious law in deciding whether to charge someone with a crime. The case is that of Dennis Riccitelli, a former Roman Catholic priest charged in 2004 with fraud and stealing thousands of dollars from his Mesa church.”
“In the middle of last year, while the case was preparing for trial, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge decided those criminal charges were flawed - in part because prosecutors didn't tell the grand jury about the laws of the Roman Catholic Church, known as canon law.”
“Riccitelli's lawyers had argued the priest was acting within Catholic law when he supposedly used real estate and check-writing schemes to line his own pockets with about $160,000 of the church's money. Under canon law, a priest has the right to spend his church's money however he sees fit, his lawyers told the judge. So likely no matter how he used the church's money, he could not have run afoul of Arizona law.”
“After hearing the argument, Judge Silvia Arellano decided Riccitelli didn't get a fair shot with the grand jury. She threw out the case and told prosecutors to try again. If they wanted to make the charges against Riccitelli stick, she ruled, they'd have to tell the grand jurors about the Roman Catholic brand of law.”
“’Church law and policies are directly relevant in determining whether (the) defendant committed the crimes he is charged with,’ Arellano wrote. Arellano's decision appears to be unprecedented in the state. In no other case has a judge decided that religious law should be used to examine potential crimes, according to lawyers involved with the case and a national legal expert.”
Comment - Champagne corks must be popping in every diocesan office in the country!! The Roman Church has, along with other liberals, been agitating for US courts to look at laws outside of US law in making judicial decisions.
This is a frightening legal decision. If it sticks, look for Catholic lawyers in the future to quote this legal “precedent” set by Judge Senora Arellano. Where could this lead: Could a Moslem kill his wife and not be charged because Islamic law may allow it? Could Mormons go back to polygamy? Could priests have free reign in stealing money from churches?
Rome has always been the enemy of free, Protestant nations, and has incessantly worked for their destruction. Are you praying daily that God protect the United States from the Roman Catholic Church? If not, please start.
posted by Robt. B. at 8:19 AM
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