HB 1947, which ends the statue of limitation for child molesters in Pennsylvania and extends the time frame in which lawsuits can be filed, became a subject of controversy after Pennsylvania House members were criticized by name in Catholic church bulletins for their April 12 vote sending the bill to the State Senate.
The bill had passed the House 180-15.
Legislators had their feelings hurt by the criticism.
But the Catholic church is right to criticize. The push is coming not from those interested in justice but from those seeking profit. Legal fees and percentages of settlements keep lawyers fat.
You doubt us?
Eliminate the statute of limitations but cut the lawsuit extension. There would be no controversy. There is no statute of limitation for murder, after all, and child molestation is equally evil.
But prosecuting these monsters doesn’t make money and the ones crying for this change in law are only interested in the money part.
They want the power to sue an institution with deep pockets, get an huge emotion-based judgement of which they get 30 percent and laughingly waddle off to their Beamers not caring that it is not the criminal who is going to foot the bill.
You doubt us?
Jerry Sandusky still has his assets and continues to collect his $59,000 public pension. Enabler Gary Schultz is collecting a $330,000 public pension.
Meanwhile Catholic schools on the margin are closed, parents of retarded children lose a place of refugee and 200 acres of green space will become a shopping center to cover costs related to the church scandals.
And tuition keeps rising at Penn State.
How is that justice?
Institutions should not be liable for damages that cannot be quantified and that are left to moments of emotion. Only innocent people are hurt when this is allowed.
Imagine, however, if administrators’ personal wealth and pensions were on the line. Schultz and Graham Spanier — yes he is also collecting a $59,000 public pension — might not have been so quick to turn a blind eye to Sandusky’s predatory acts.
Their pockets, however, are apparently just not deep enough for class action jackpot seekers.
Or people who get public pensions get political protection.
HB 1947 Deserves Condemnation