A Church internal enquiry is useless (Main Forum)

by clommer , United States, Wednesday, August 01, 2012, 23:44 (291 days ago) @ James

James thank you for your information especially on misprision of a felony.

I know nothing about Royal Commissions except what you disclosed and what I have ascertained from the Leveson inquiry. Correct me if I am wrong but it looks to me that a Commission is the vehicle for ascertaining the truth and the details concerning a particular problem and if, as you say, criminal proceedings can be instituted based on information developed by the Commission but those proceedings are separate and apart from the Commission.

I have two questions.
1. Why the need for a commission? Everyone knows that the Bishops and their staff committed wrongs; that there were/are unpunished priests who committed heinous crimes and there are hundreds if not thousands of innocent children who have been harmed. Those conclusions are self evident but I admit the details are still hidden. Why not just bring criminal proceedings in the first place. Prosecutors always put the screws to the small fry and get them to turn and testify against the big fish. With Lynn refusing to testify against the Cardinals and receiving 3 to 6 years in prison will have a salutary effect on the minor chancery officials. These miscreants have avoided jail for too long. its time to prosecute them criminally.

2. While a witnesses' testimony before a Commission cannot be used against him, any leads and evidence developed therefrom would certainly encourage forgetfulness if not downright silence. Can a witness claim privilege as to any evidence (fruit from the poisonous tree)? Could some lawyer argue successfully that the privilege does not go far enough and therefore the witness does not have to testify? Could the witness claim that the information was obtained in the confessional and ;therefore he cannot testify?

I am almost at the point where I say to hell with the niceties just throw them all in jail without the necessity of wasting money on trials even to the top at the Vatican. They all knew and did nothing and isn't that what misprision is all about?