Share:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Photo: US Air Force / PixabayJAMESTOWN — A deceased priest who served at St. James’ and St. John’s Roman Catholic churches has been named in two Child Victim Act lawsuits in state Supreme Court in Chautauqua County, according to Horowitz Law of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Fr. Ralph P. Federico was named in the two lawsuits filed in July 2020 in state Supreme Court in Chautauqua County.Fr. Ralph Federico Horowitz LawAccording to the lawsuits, both victims were 10 years old at the time of the abuse. The first lawsuit states that the abuse occurred in 1976 when Federico served St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Jamestown. The plaintiff was a student and participated in youth activities at St. John’s, where he met Federico.The second allegation claims Federico allegedly engaged in “unpermitted sexual contact” around 1974 while serving at Our Lady of Pompeii in Depew. Federico was also named in a lawsuit filed in August 2019, when the Child Victims Act first went into effect, allowing past sexual abuse victims to file claims. A man told the 7 Eyewitness News (diocesan documents confirm) that he reported an allegation against Federico in 2018. The victim was 12 years old when the abuse occurred in the early 1970s. The victim claims he was an altar boy at Our Lady of Pompeii in Depew, where Federico was pastor, but the abuse occurred when Federico took him to a trailer he owned in Mayville.Federico died in 2007, 12 years before the lawsuits came to light. He was 80 years old. Federico was ordained in 1952 and retired in 1997.He served at Our Lady of Pompeii, Lancaster, in the 1950s, Brothers of Mercy Nursing Home in Clarence in the 1960s, St John in Olean in the 1960s, St. James in the 1960s, St. John’s from 1970-76, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Bemus Point, from 1978 to 1997.Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo in New York.
FORMER Pakistan captain Imran Khan believes Sarfaraz Ahmed’s axing does not necessarily spell the end of his international career.Imran, who is currently Pakistan’s prime minister, has almost completely stayed away from any public comment on the nation’s cricket team since he took over the top job. But, taking a weekend off from political duties, he touched upon a number of recent developments in Pakistan cricket, also backing the embattled head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq to come good.“I don’t think the performance and form of a player should be judged by T20 cricket but through Test and one-day cricket,” Imran told reporters. “He can come back to the national team, but right now he should focus on domestic cricket.”Sarfaraz Ahmed was relieved of his duties as Pakistan captain last month in all three formats after a sustained drop in both personal form and the team’s fortunes in all three formats. He also lost his place in the T20 and Test squads for Pakistan’s tour of Australia, and has spent the last three weeks captaining Sindh in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, where, with 92 runs in four innings, his batting returns have been somewhat modest.Imran threw his weight behind Misbah, praising both his integrity and ability. “It is a constructive move to appoint Misbah as he is an honest and unbiased person who has loads of experience behind him. I think Misbah will turn out to be a good choice and Pakistan will improve and do well in Test and ODI cricket under him. He has this talent in him that he can groom the players and also improve their performance.”Imran also expressed confidence in the revamped domestic structure – which he had himself heavily championed – backing it to produce long-term results that improve performances of the national side. “If our domestic cricket improves, then Pakistan cricket will also move forward.”(ESPN Cricinfo)
COURTS: A man disqualified from driving for TEN years, has been sentenced to four months in prison after being caught yet again behind the wheel while still disqualified.Stephen Orr, 36, from St Johnston appeared at a sitting of Letterkeny District Court in relation to an incident which occurred in Newtoncunningham on March 28th of this year. In 2010, he was disqualified from driving for ten years.The court heard how Garda Elaine Gordon spotted the defendant driving a vehicle and knew he was disqualified from driving.She activated her lights and signalled for Mr Orr to pull the vehicle over, he initially accelerated off, but after a short distance pulled over and exited the vehicle.When quizzed why he had accelerated off, the defendant admitted that he was disqualified from driving.The court heard the staggering amount of driving offences against him, Mr Orr had thirteen previous convictions for dangerous driving.Solicitor for the defendant Patsy Gallagher conceded that his client had an ‘appalling’ record – but said it was due to an emergency that his client got behind the wheel.“My client knows what he did was wrong, and totally accepts that, but the reason he took the car was due to an emergency.“His partner was up in his mother’s house, which was a short distance away from where they lived, their child took sick, and he attempted to go to the house to take the child to the doctors.“It was a short distance, but when he spotted the Gardaí, he sped off initially, but then pulled the vehicle over and admitted straight away he was disqualified.“I’d ask the court to perhaps give this man community service, so he can give back to the state in a positive way, as oppose to going to Castlerea Prison at the expense of the taxpayer.”Judge Paul Kelly said it seemed clear considering the staggering amount of disqualifications and driving convictions he had, that he has no respect for the court’s judgements, as he just continually disregards all directions.He also added that he accelerated when he saw Gardaí and spoke about the litany of previous charges against him.Judge Paul Kelly sentenced Mr Orr to four months in prison and was disqualified from driving for four years.Man caught driving while disqualified sentenced to four months in prison was last modified: July 20th, 2016 by Mark ForkerShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:bancourtsdisqualifieddrivingnewsSentencedStephen Orr