WHOA! .... Bill Conlin resigns amid child molestation investigation

One of the weirdest things about this story for me is the feeling "hoping" that there are other, more recent victims out there, with crimes against them committed (allegedly) by Conlin that would fall with the statute of limitations. At the same time, this means I'm hoping there were more people who were abused as kids, which doesn't feel right at all.

 

I apologize if it appears that I'm picking on your posts here, Evil, I'm really not trying to. I just wanted to point out that Conlin can not be sued civilly, nor prosecuted criminally, according to Pennsylvania state law by these alleged victims.

Victims who were assaulted before Aug. 27, 2002 must file civil litigation before they turn 20. Victims assaulted after that date, when the civil statute of limitations was extended, must file before they turn 30.

A lawyer talks about it here:

http://www.midstatelaw.com/Sexual-Physical-Abuse-Molestation/Overcoming-Sexual-Abuse-Statute-of-Limitations.shtml

 

If this is true, he's going to have a power to answer to that has no statute of limitations.

 

http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/judiciary-and-judicial-procedure/00.055.024.000.html

 

There are exceptions to every rule ...
I think a lawyer could attempt to hang his hat on this ...

Not saying it will stick. But barring any chance of prosecution, I can see a lawyer for the victims dragging Conlin through the legal mud (or at least giving it the old college try).

 

If I'm not mistaken, I believe one of the incidents occurred in New Jersey. I don't know about the statute of limitations there.

 

That's not applicable here. I've always understood it, for example, to be cases like a doctor sexually abusing someone on the sly and not revealing that's what he/she did. That's how I've seen concealment come up.

 

This is why someone, somewhere, will start nosing around the vacation home.

 

New Jersey abolished the statute of limitations in 1996, but it is not retroactive, so assaults that happened before then are not prosecutable. I'm not sure about civil litigation.

From everything I've read and heard this morning, it looks like Conlin's only punishment will come in the afterlife.

 

I doubt it.
More victims - more recent victims - are out there. These guys can't stop.

 

How beloved of a writer is Conlin? How many people are that saddenedby this in Philly? A few hundred?

 

Was curious how both papers would play it. Today's covers:
DN went all in with Conlin but did not mention the nature of allegations.

http://phillydailynews.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Inquirer had it in left rail, straight forward news headline.

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/hr.asp?fpVname=PA_PI&ref_pge=gal&b_pge=1