Duluth News Tribune: A judge on Monday tossed out portions of two lawsuits seeking to force the Diocese of Duluth to release documents detailing child sexual abuse cases.
Sixth Judicial District Judge David Johnson ruled that the plaintiffs cannot pursue the release of the documents through private and public nuisance claims. Counts charging the diocese with negligence in its handling of sex abuse cases will remain open.
Court rulings involving document lawsuits often determine whether internal records, personnel files, and investigation documents must be released to the public or to attorneys representing survivors. Access to these documents can be important for investigations, litigation, and understanding how abuse allegations were handled over time.