Material Witness in Lynn Child Abuse Trial Msgr. Quirk under Protection of Bishop Bransfield in W. Va Diocese – Sanctuary!

You can't touch me. I am in West Virginia.
Sanctuary!!!

Out of state witness Monsignor Michael Quirk is not available per West Virginia judge who does not think that Philly Child Abuse trial has anything to do with West Virginia.  Duh!

http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-18/news/31361900_1_west-virginia-judge-landmark-trial-trial-session

According to Blessington, an unnamed West Virginia judge has balked at honoring the district attorney's "material-witness petition" for Msgr. Michael Quirk, one of three church judges who heard the 2008 canonical trial of Brennan on child sex-abuse charges.

Brennan is a defendant in the Philadelphia criminal trial for the rape of a 14-year-old boy in 1996, an assault he has denied.

On trial with Brennan is Msgr. William J. Lynn, who as secretary for clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004 was responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests. Lynn is the first church official to be criminally charged with enabling or covering up the allegations.

The prosecution in the trial, now in its fourth week, maintains that the Philadelphia Catholic Church had a long-standing pattern of trying to avoid scandal at the expense of the priests' past or future victims.

As part of the trial, Blessington has said he wants to present testimony from Quirk about Brennan's testimony during the 2008 canonical trial.

Although the canonical trial was in Philadelphia, Quirk is assigned to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., where he is judicial vicar and assistant to Bishop Michael J. Bransfield.

A week ago, prosecutors approached Sarmina at the end of a trial session and asked for her to write asking the West Virginia judge to honor the petition from a Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court.

Although state court subpoenas usually have no effect on other state's courts, they are often honored as a matter of courtesy among judges.

The West Virginia judge has apparently decided that Quirk's testimony would not rise to the level of being a "material witness" and has not honored the petition.

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