Closing Arguments Monday in GB Diocese Trial

5/20/12 – The Green Bay Catholic Diocese wrapped up its defense Friday in a civil trial on allegations that the church committed fraud. Jurors will return Monday morning. They’ll hear both sides make their closing arguments, and will then start deliberating on a verdict. Todd and Troy Merryfield are seeking undisclosed damages. They were molested as young boys in 1978 by Father John Feeney at a church in Freedom in Outagamie County. Feeney spent almost eight years in prison after he was criminally convicted. In the civil suit, the Merryfields contend the church committed fraud by moving Feeney from parish-to-parish without telling parishioners about his background. Church lawyer Patrick Brennan introduced documents from the late Bishop Aloysius Wycislo. He said in an old deposition that he would have immediately suspended a pastor if sexual abuse allegations had merit. Also, medical records were introduced showing that Troy Merryfield did not have depression or nerve issues in four reviews from 1986-to-’9