Abuse claims against Catholic Church limited by 1986 California ballot measure

A California court of appeal ruled Monday that a 1986 ballot measure limiting noneconomic damages still applies to childhood sexual abuse claims revived by a 2019 law, even when the underlying abuse predates the measure by decades.

The case arises from a consolidated Alameda County action involving more than 1,000 plaintiffs suing Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and the Boy Scouts of America. The court reasoned the claims legally accrued in 2020, when the statute of limitations was reset, so Proposition 51's liability caps apply.

A first bellwether trial already produced a $16 million award against the Diocese of Oakland; a second case against the Santa Rosa Diocese has moved to Sonoma County. Several dioceses, including Oakland and San Francisco, have filed for bankruptcy, which pauses many of the remaining cases.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.