The case, John Doe 76c v. Archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Diocese of Winona, is on appeal over whether evidence about repressed memories can be used in court. The case was dismissed by the District Court last year when the Judge ruled that experts cannot testify about repressed memories in this case. This decision was overturned when the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed the District Court and sent the case back to trial, saying experts should be allowed to testify about repressed memories. The Diocesan Defendants then appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The argument today focused on whether the theory or science of repressed memories is sufficiently reliable so as to be offered in court. The Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision will either give Jim Keenan an opportunity to be heard in court or deny him this chance and diminish the viability of repressed memory in Minnesota.