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“For 13 years now, advocates like myself and others had been trying to get the Child Victims Act passed to get some access to justice for sex abuse survivors in the state. Each survivor heals in their own way, but healing always involves empowerment. Without the Child Victims Act, they had no access to legal

By Leander James In 2016, faced with mounting political and legal pressure, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Dolan, announced the creation of an “Independent Reconciliation Compensation Program” (IRCP) to compensate individuals sexually abused as children by clergy within the Diocese.  Most dioceses in New York State have followed suit by creating their own programs

By Leander James The Diocese of Rochester, NY, has recently instituted a confidential, non-binding program to compensate sexual abuse survivors of any age who were victimized as a child by an actor within the Diocese of Rochester.  Our team has recently completed the first evaluations within the program.  This blog is meant to give you

By Wes S. Larsen Have you ever seen a television or internet ad regarding an allegedly dangerous prescription drug or medical device? They often say things like, “If you or a loved one have been injured by [fill in the blank], call us now! You may be entitled to compensation.” While such promises may seem

Leander James, of James, Vernon & Weeks, P.A. spoke with WHEC news in Rochester, NY while attending hearings for several clients in the Rochester Archdiocese mediation program. The program, which is entirely voluntary, gives survivors of abuse the opportunity to have their claims heard in a non-litigation setting. Claimants can choose to accept the award

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York issued a statement today that Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Washington, has been credibly accused of sexually abusing a teen 45 years ago while serving as a priest in New York. This announcement comes following a thorough investigation by an independent forensic agency at the direction

JVW attorneys pleased to announce significant settlement against Diocese of Great Falls which achieves monetary compensation for their clients who survived sexual assault as children as well as important non-monetary considerations. Read more about these stories here: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/04/27/us/ap-us-church-abuse-montana.html https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/montana-diocese-reaches-2420m-settlement-with-abuse-victims/ar-AAwqRg1

Recent lawsuit seeks justice and important policy change to make LDS Church safer for those susceptible to sexual assault by leaders. Read more about these developments here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mckenna-denson-mormon-church-abuse-lawsuit_us_5ac68734e4b0337ad1e5f7f1 https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/04/05/woman-accusing-missionary-training-center-president-of-rape-stands-in-front-of-cameras-to-say-she-is-a-victim/

(Long Island, New York – April 9, 2018) For clergy sex abuse survivors from Long Island, New York, now is the time to come forward. It’s important to act now and not delay to meet the April 30, 2018 filing deadline to file a claim. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, one

Lawyers Helping Survivors of Child Sex Abuse, a national team of attorneys dedicated to representing victims of sexual abuse that James, Vernon & Weeks, P.A., is proud to serve with, just released a new report entitled Hidden Disgrace II. 51 alleged pedophiles who are associated with the diocese within the Diocese of Rockville Centre were identified