If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse as a child, you may be eligible to file a civil suit against the individual and institutions involved. The Cochran Firm is representing clients in the state of Maryland who are victims of childhood sexual abuse or assault.
The Cochran Firm understands that sexual abuse and assault is a sensitive matter regardless of when it occurred, and our clients have suffered physical, psychological, and emotional damages. Your privacy and well-being are our utmost priorities.
The Cochran Firm represented multiple clients in a sexual assault case against Johns Hopkins University that secured a $190 Million settlement. Our highly experienced attorneys also understand that each case is unique. We are committed to fighting for our clients’ rights with an individualized approach. We work closely with our clients to ensure their unique circumstances are being handled the way they would like.
On April 11th, 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed the Child Victims Act of 2023 into law, which removes the current statute of limitations that restricted when civil claims could be filed.
The Child Victims Act of 2023 allows victims to file a civil suit regardless of their current age or how long ago the abuse occurred. While other states have placed limits on how long victims are able to submit new claims, Maryland is the first state law with no such limits on when a civil suit can be filed.
The Child Victims Act of 2023 also increases the cap on civil damages for these cases. For each individual incident or occurrence, damages against public school boards and government entities are now capped at $890,000, and damages against private institutions are now capped at $1.5 million.
156 Catholic Priests and Clergy Members were listed as abusers by the Maryland Attorney General. From the 1940s through 2002, they engaged in horrific and repeated abuse of the most vulnerable children in their communities while Archdiocese leadership looked the other way or actively covered it up. Those priests and related clergy members are listed below. The Attorney General’s report is linked below the list of priests.
1. Father Louis Affrica
2. Father James Avant
3. Father Bruce Ball
4. Father John Banko
5. Father Michael Barnes
6. Father Thomas Bauernfeind
7. Father Vincent Bechtel
8. Father Ronald Belschner
9. Father Thomas Bevan
10. Father Maurice Blackwell
11. Father Louis Bonacci
12. Father John Bostwick
13. Reverend H. Cornell Bradley
14. Father William Braun
15. Father Laurence Brett
16. Father Frederick Brinkmann
17. Stephen Brotzman
18. Father Wayland Brown
19. Father Gerard Bugge
20. Father Robert Callahan
21. Father John Carney
22. Monsignor John Corbett
23. Father Brian Cox
24. Father Charles Coyle
25. Father Fernando Cristancho
26. Father Robert Cullen
27. Father Joseph Davies
28. Father Richard Deakin
29. Father Alfred Dean
30. Father Donald Dimitroff
31. Brother Francis Dolan
32. Father James Dowdy
33. Father Robert Duerr
34. Jesuit Priest John Duggan
35. Father Frederick Duke
36. Father Walter Emala
37. Father Francis Ernst
38. Father Luigi Esposito
39. Father Terence Evans
40. Father Alfred Ewanowski
41. Father Kenneth Farabaugh
42. Father Alphonsus Figlewski
43. Deacon Joseph Firlie
44. Father Carl Fisher
45. Sister Theonella Flood
46. Father Daniel Free
47. Father Joseph Gallagher
48. Father Joseph Gerg
49. Father Steven Girard
50. Father Mark Haight
51. Father John Hammer
52. Father Edward Heilman
53. Father Marion Helowicz
54. Father Joseph Hill
55. Monsignor Robert Hiltz
56. Father George Hopkins
57. Father Joseph Hopkins
58. Father Robert Hopkins
59. Father William Jameson
60. Father Albert Julian
61. Deacon John Justice
62. Father Thomas F. Kelly
63. Father Thomas M. Kelly
64. Father Joseph Kenney
65. Father Simon Kenny
66. Father Paul Knapp
67. Father Michael Kolodziej
68. Father Joseph Krach
69. Father William “Jay” Krouse
70. Father Joseph Kruse
71. Deacon Thomas Kuhl
72. Brother Xavier Langan
73. Father Michael LaMountain
74. Father James Lannon
75. Father Ross LaPorta
76. Father Regis Larkin
77. Father David Leary
78. Father Francis LeFevre
79. Father Robert Lentz
80. Father John Lippold
81. Father Robert John Lochner
82. Father Anthony Lorento
83. Father George Loskarn
84. Father Edward Neil Magnus
85. Father Ronald Mardaga
86. Father Kenneth Martin
87. Father Joseph Maskell
88. Father Benedict Mawn
89. Brother Constantine McCarthy
90. Monsignor William McCrory
91. Father Francis McGrath
92. Father Eugene McGuire
93. Patrick McIntyre
94. Brother Lawrence Meegen
95. Father Raymond Melville
96. John Merzbacher
97. Father Joseph Messer
98. Father Ronald Michaud
99. Father William Migliorini
100. Father John Mike
101. Father Jerome Moody
102. Brother Eugene Morgan
103. Brother William Morgan
104. Father John Mountain
105. Father Timothy Murphy
106. Father J. Glenn Murray
107. Father Alan Nagle
108. Father Robert Newman
109. Deacon Leo O’Hara
110. Father Garrett Orr
111. Father Henry O’Toole
112. Father John Padian
113. Father John Peacock
114. Father Dennis Pecore
115. Father Adrian Poletti
116. Eric Price
117. Father Blair Raum
118. Brother Thomas Rochacewicz
119. Father Francis Roscetti
120. Father Charles Rouse
121. Brother Marius John Shine
122. Father William Simms
123. Father David Smith
124. Monsignor Richard Smith
125. Father Thomas Smith
126. Father Michael Spillane
127. Father Albert Stallings
128. Father Edmund Stroup
129. Brother Cuthbert Sullivan
130. Father Francis Sweeney
131. Father Alcuin Tasch
132. Brother Joseph "Cuthbert" Thibault
133. Brother Thomas Tomasunas
134. Father Jerome Toohey
135. Father James Toulas
136. Father Gerald Tragesser
137. Father Jorge Velez-Lopez
138. Father Francis Wagner
139. Father William Walsh
140. Father William Wehrle
141. Monsignor Thomas Whelan
142. Father John Wielebski
143. Monsignor Roger Wooden
144. Father Howard Yeakle
145. Sister Francis Yocum
146. Monsignor Henry Zerhusen
Ten other names were redacted from the report.
The lawyers at The Cochran Firm know the pain and difficulties families face due to injury and injustice. We offer free case evaluations to uterine cancer victims searching for justice. Furthermore, our attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning we do not collect any money until we win your chemical hair straightening lawsuit. Call 1-800-300-3000 to discuss your case. Our agents are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to take your call and evaluate your case. Let us deliver the justice and compensation you deserve.
