Judge denies monsignor’s bid to drop case

A Philadelphia monsignor will go on trial on child endangerment charges despite new defense evidence that he says shows an archbishop was calling the shots.

Monsignor William Lynn says the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua had a list of accused, still-active priests destroyed in 1994 — a decade before the sex abuse scandal exploded.

Lynn asked a judge to dismiss the felony child endangerment and conspiracy charges he’s facing. He says a grand jury might not have pursued him if it had seen the memo about the cardinal ordering his aides to destroy the list.

 

Judge M. Teresa Sarmina refused Monday to drop the case against Lynn. Prosecutors had blasted the last-minute defense filing Friday.

The first potential jurors are being questioned Monday. Testimony is set to start March 26.