The Zalkin Law Firm Responds to California Catholic Dioceses Victims

Compensation Fund

Leading victim's attorney responds to California Bishops move to create a "victims compensation
fund" for alleged clergy abuse victims. Victims should have legal representation before giving up
their options for civil justice, according to Irwin Zalkin, San Diego based victims attorney.

San Diego, CA, May 17, 2019 --(PR.com)-- On Tuesday, several Catholic diocese in California,
including the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of San Diego, announced the formation of a
“victim's compensation fund” that would serve as an alternative to the filing of a civil lawsuit by a victim
of Catholic Clergy child sexual abuse.

Several Catholic diocese in New York created similar funds before the impending passage of the
long-awaited New York Child Victim's Act. Due to The New York dioceses creating the Independent
Reconciliation and Compensation Program (“IRCP”), alleged child sexual abuse victims whose claims
had been foreclosed by the statute of limitations may opt to make a claim to the fund instead of waiting
for the Child Victim's Act to pass, which would have had the option to enable them to file a civil lawsuit
for money damages.

“Having represented hundreds of childhood sexual abuse victims by religious and other organizations
over the past twenty years, I would advise victims to be very cautious,” said attorney Irwin Zalkin of The
Zalkin Law Firm.

Zalkin states, “While the relative ease of seeking recovery through a victim's compensation fund may
seem appealing to alleged priest abuse victims, there are numerous pitfalls that far outweigh any potential
benefits. The biggest risk and drawback for victims is the fact that these funds have a fixed monetary
ceiling that is established by the diocese(s) establishing the fund without regard to the expected or actual
number of claims made. Therefore, the more claims are made, the less amount of money can be allocated
to each claim, no matter how horrible the alleged abuse suffered by the individual claimant or how much
the Diocese allegedly facilitated the abuse by protecting the perpetrator priests.”

Survivor organizations like SNAP, Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests, have also cautioned
alleged victims not to rush toward this as a settlement for their claims. SNAP issued a statement on
Tuesday that stated in part:

“We believe that the best way to expose wrongdoing and enforce accountability is for crimes to be made
public and for punishment and compensation to be meted out by courts, not the institutions that allowed
the wrongdoing to happen in the first place. Survivors deserve a chance to have their day in court and
shed light on their abuse, and that can only happen when statutes of limitations are reformed, civil
windows are opened, and bishops are held accountable in courts of law.”

Legal options may be available in the future for California victims. The California Legislature is currently
considering Assembly Bill 218, introduced by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, CA. This

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legislation, which has already passed the State Assembly and is working its way through committees in
the State Senate, will amend California's current statute of limitations in civil cases of childhood sexual
abuse. AB 218 will revive cases that are time barred by the current statute of limitations for a period of 3
years. If passed and signed into law by Governor Newsom, AB 218 will enable older victims to file civil
lawsuits against institutions like the Catholic Dioceses in California for alleged sexual abuse they suffered
as children at the hands of Catholic Clergy and other religious actors.

About The Zalkin Law Firm

With offices in San Diego, CA and New York, NY, the firm's lawyers have represented hundreds of
survivors of sexual abuse and sexual assault and achieved results in numerous high-profile sexual abuse
and assault cases across the United States. The Zalkin Law Firm has aggressively represented survivors
who allegedly suffered child sexual abuse and sexual assault while members of religious and other
organizations, including the Catholic Church, foster care, Boy Scouts, recovery homes, foreign student
exchange programs, colleges and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Irwin Zalkin was appointed a lead negotiator
by United States Magistrate Judge Leo S. Papas on behalf of over 144 victims of childhood sexual abuse
against the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego. These negotiations resulted in a global settlement of
almost $200,000,000. He also was one of the lead trial lawyers and part of the trial team against the
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles where a global settlement was reached in the amount of
$660,000,000.

For more information visit: www.zalkin.com

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Contact Information:
The Zalkin Law Firm
Irwin Zalkin
858-259-3011
Contact via Email
zalkin.com

Online Version of Press Release:

You can read the online version of this press release at: https://www.pr.com/press-release/785102

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