ALBANY -- Although a decision was issued last week restricting attorney John Aretakis and others who are protesting outside a Catholic church, the case is not over.
More hearings are expected in the near future in the lawsuit brought by Holy Cross Church in an attempt to curtail demonstrators who have shown up during Sunday services since May.
In an interim ruling Friday, state Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo extended a temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction.
The injunction continues to keep protesters 100 feet away from church entrances. It will remain in effect until the lawsuit is concluded and a final order is issued.
Singling out Aretakis, the judge described him as an adviser to the group and called his conduct "aggressive and hostile." Spargo ordered the attorney to stay 300 feet from the church and school during services and classes.
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The protesters want Holy Cross pastor, the Rev. Daniel J. Maher, removed. They allege he molested an altar boy in 1973. An investigation by the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese cleared the priest.
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Read the complete article Church's suit continues from timesunion.com.
I thought I blogged about this a long while ago, but I can't seem to find any posts on the topic. As I recall, the lawyer, Aretakis, refused to provide any concrete evidence of his allegations (witness statements, etc.). The Albany Diocese conducted its own investigation and if I remember correctly, it hired a former state attorney (or a police detective?) to conduct it and nothing was found.
If you search for "John Aretakis" at Google, there's a long list of links, including interviews on MSNBC and reports on his ethics case being kicked around the New York Committee on Professional Standards.
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