Priest Accused of Child Abuse Is Defrocked
From Times Wire Reports
A priest who was shot and wounded in 2002 by a former altar boy he allegedly molested more than a decade ago has been defrocked by Pope John Paul II.
The pope decided in October to dismiss Maurice Blackwell, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore received the official paperwork this month from the Vatican, archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine said.
Blackwell, 58, is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 3 on four counts of child sexual abuse against Dontee Stokes.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
