Mo. Judge Hears Motions In Case Against Bishop

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Jackson County judge says he will rule by the end of next week on a motion to dismiss a misdemeanor charge against a Kansas City Roman Catholic bishop accused of failing to report suspected child pornography on a priest’s computer.

Circuit Judge John Torrence says he also will rule on a motion to sever the cases of Bishop Robert Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Both face the same charge, and prosecutors want both cases decided in the same trial.

Finn’s attorney, J.R. Hobbs, told the court Tuesday that separate trials are necessary because much of the testimony in the diocese case wouldn’t be pertinent to Finn’s case.

Hobbs also argued that Finn was not his diocese’s designated reporter so the charge should be dropped.