The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal by a priest who filed a defamation and libel lawsuit against the Diocese of Palm Beach in a case that involved allegations of another priest showing child pornography to a 14-year-old boy.
The justices, as is common, did not explain their reasons for declining to hear the appeal by priest John Gallagher, who said diocesan officials defamed him after he made public comments about an alleged cover-up of the incident involving the other priest. A South Florida appeals court last year ruled against Gallagher, and the Florida Supreme Court decided against hearing an appeal, prompting the priest to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
