Law Firms Seek Justice on Behalf of Sexual Abuse Victims Under the Newly Enacted Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — October 2, 2023
BALTIMORE, MD – Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, two leading Maryland-based medical malpractice, personal injury, and civil litigation law firms, are partnering in a class action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Washington on behalf of sex abuse victims who have come forward seeking justice. These law firms previously partnered in a class action against Johns Hopkins Hospital arising from sexual abuse committed by one of its doctors. That case settled for $190 million, which has been reported to be the largest sexual abuse settlement in Maryland history.
On April 11, 2023, the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 was passed to eliminate the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring forth civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers. The new law took effect on October 1, 2023, allowing civil suits to move forward in Maryland’s courts no matter when the abuse took place.
The class action suit, John Doe et al. v. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, was filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland on October 1, 2023.
The Archdiocese of Washington has previously admitted to having 34 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors and is under investigation by the Attorney General of Maryland. Plaintiffs allege that the Archdiocese of Washington has engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that has permitted sexual abuse against children for decades.
“We are privileged to file this class action lawsuit on behalf of our long-suffering clients to give them a voice when they were previously silenced so they can share their powerful stories of abuse, be heard in a court of law, face their abusers and the Archdiocese, which permitted this horrendous conduct for decades, gain closure, close wounds and move forward,” said Jonathan Schochor, Founding Partner and Chairman of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. “We look forward to working with our brave clients to help finally deliver justice and closure to all sex abuse victims that have had the courage to come forward.”
“We hope this litigation will not only help ensure peace of mind for our many clients who have suffered at the hands of their abusers but will also dramatically improve the quality of their lives moving forward,” said Andrew Janet, Partner and Co-Chair, Sexual Abuse Division, Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC.
Three class representatives who were sexually abused by Archdiocese of Washington clergy as minors are identified via pseudonyms in the complaint’s allegations.
All plaintiffs are alleged to have suffered a wide variety of serious physical, emotional, and financial injuries.
Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, believe that victims coming forward and enforcing their legal rights will deter future abuse and protect future generations of children from being abused.
About Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A.
Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has been fighting for patients’ rights as a leading medical malpractice, personal injury, and civil litigation law firm since 1984. For nearly four decades, the firm has represented thousands of clients in catastrophic injury matters and has achieved remarkable results on their behalf. Additionally, the firm is a recognized leader in sexual abuse cases as well as class action and mass tort litigation with record-breaking results. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has offices in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Its lawyers are licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, and have been specially admitted to practice in courts around the country.
About Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC
Janet, Janet & Suggs is a Maryland-based national law firm with offices in 10 states and Washington D.C. Its attorneys have handled hundreds of individual clergy abuse cases as well as noteworthy high-profile sexual abuse cases against well-known institutions. The firm has decades of experience handling catastrophic injury cases and has won over three billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients across a wide range of serious and complex cases.