Texas judge grants Pope immunity in sexual abuse cover-up lawsuit.

[Cyrano]

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051222163709990016&ncid=NWS0010000000001

A document has tied the current Pope into a cover-up of the sexual abuse of three boys in Texas. Yet, a Texas judge says he's beyond the reach of the law because he's a foreign head of state.

Clinton did not receive immunity in a lawsuit because he wasn't a foreign head of state.

On the other hand, Saddam Hussein, the head of state of a country that DID NOTHING TO US, is now on trial for his life.

Does anyone have an explanation for these seeming discrepancies?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Well, isn't that special?

[Loonman]

2. So they like to fuck kids in Texas, huh?

Apparently.

[unblock]

3. ah, but saddam is not on trial in a u.s. court

he's on trial in an iraqi court set up by the u.s.

see the difference? ;)

[Orrex]

4. Well, it's obviously bullshit

Even if Benedict can't be tried per se, he could still be tried in absentia if the implication against him is sound.

But consider:

Clinton was tried as a US citizen for allegedly violating US law. Since Presidents 1 through 42 were not above the law, he was not eligibile for immunity.

Hussein is on trial not for molesting Texas boys but for torturing and murdering Iraqi citizens, so he's (nominally) not being subjected to US law.

Of course, zealots in the "Saddam-equals-bin-Laden" camp would probably argue that Hussein is not a legitimate head of state and therefore he enjoys no immunity.

[RB TexLa]

5. people are removed as defendants in civil lawsuits all the time

There are suits all the time against people in federal government offices and departments in which B*sh and before him Clinton are named and then removed.

[meow2u3]

6. When did this coverup occur?

It wouldn't be fair to Pope Benedict XVI if he were to stand trial for coverups that took place before he was crowned Pope. That would have been on JP2's lap.

[Cyrano]

9. Read the article in the original post. The document was written by

the current pope, not John Paul II.

[Ian David]

7. Poll: Should the Pope be immune from a trial alleging sex-abuse...

Should the Pope be immune from a trial alleging sex-abuse and a subsequent cover-up?
No 64%
Yes 28%
Unsure 8%
Total Votes: 30,208


I'll post in a seperate thread.

[Zynx]

8. You can't sue heads of state. There's no point in even listing them.