LOS ANGELES – An attorney representing dozens of alleged victims
of clergy abuse was sanctioned by a judge for making "unacceptable"
comments during the deposition of a monsignor with the Roman
Catholic Church.
Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz said Tuesday that he was
sanctioning Costa Mesa attorney John Manly because he wanted "Mr.
Manly to get the message that his conduct is unacceptable." The
amount of Manly's sanction is yet to be determined.
Manly, who was not in court when he was sanctioned, acknowledged he
lost his temper during an argument with church attorneys. He blamed
exhaustion.
Manly had suggested that attorneys for the Archdiocese of Los
Angeles wanted to suspend the deposition because they "hope the
witness will die" before he can be fully questioned.
"I made a mistake, and I have to pay the consequences," Manly
said. "I accept what the judge said. My father had died the day
before, and I hadn't slept in 72 hours. I probably shouldn't have
gone, but I did, and I lost my temper."