Yesterday was the final day of the presentations to the trial court convened to rule on charges of misconduct against Bishop Charles Bennison. The trial concluded with closing arguments and a not unexpected move by the defense to dismiss all charges.
According to news reports:
“Two counts against Bp. Bennison concern whether he committed ‘conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy.’ Church prosecutors allege that he failed to protect underage parishioner Martha Alexis from sexual predation by John Bennison, his younger brother, and kept the matter a secret from the girl’s parents.
[…]If the panel of nine priests and bishops finds that Bp. Bennison failed in his priestly duties, he could lose his standing as bishop and face further sentencing. They will issue their ruling within 30 days.”
Read the full article here.
We have previous coverage of this trial here, here and here.
Jerry Hames’ coverage for Episcopal Life is here.