Subject: Peter Callahan

• Weekly Story on Bishop Brown Pedophile Allegation Proven Right

  Five months ago, OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano broke the news that despite his promises of complete public accountability on the Catholic Church sex scandals, Bishop Tod Brown himself continued to hide accusations that he molested a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s. According to subsequent court transcripts, Orange diocese attorney Peter Callahan snorted that the Weekly's reporting couldn't be trusted because the paper is distributed at coffeehouses and carries massage ads*. Callahan predicted the "

  September 13, 2007

• The Annotated Bishop Brown Deposition

  Today, Orange County Superior Court Judge Gail Andler ruled that a Sept. 10 deposition of Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown for the Jeff Andrade case be released to the public. As a public service announcement, the Weekly presents an annotated version after the jump with beaucoup hotlinks. Warning: the spin of Brown and diocesan attorney Peter Callahan will cause nausea worthy of Magic Mountain. And for much more background, read our Ex Cathedra and Andrade archives. Pg. 13: Brown

  September 13, 2007

• Gracias, Frank Mickadeit...

  ...for acknowledging in his Orange County Register column today that the Weekly broke the Bishop Tod Brown molestation allegation five months ago. We e-mailed Mickadeit, his colleague Rachanee Srisavasdi, and Los Angeles Times Orange County editor (and former religion reporter) William Lobdell and asked them to acknowledge the Weekly in reporting about the Brown deposition; only Mickadeit complied with the truth. But then, Mickadeit went further: "And in our own nod to openness, we must repo

  September 14, 2007

• OC Diocese Paid Admitted Child Molester $100,000

  Back in 2004, the Catholic Diocese of Orange quietly settled a lawsuit filed against former Mater Dei boys' basketball coach Jeff Andrade. To quote from my 2006 story regarding a current molestation lawsuit against Andrade: "In 2003, Mater Dei officials admitted to Orange County Register reporter Jim Hinch that they dismissed Andrade because of his relationship with [a 15-year-old student0]. Andrade sued Mater Dei and the Orange diocese...for invasion of privacy, stating in his argument that "

  September 17, 2007

• Stuck Inside of Memphis With the Catholic Blues Again

  Writing from Staxville, on the eve of delivering a lecture about ¡Ask a Mexican! at the University of Memphis... Yesterday, the law firm of Manly, McGuire & Stewart filed a contempt of court order against Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown, the latest salvo in the Jeff Andrade case. Manly and amigos are arguing that the Orange diocese purposefully whisked Monsignor John Urell to Canada to avoid finishing a deposition that he couldn't continue back in July after breaking down in tears. The diocese deni

  September 20, 2007

• Sunday's Headlines & Surprises: OC Inspired Space Travel?

  California's Police State: Imagine you are a suspect and the police take your entire statement out of context by secretly recording only snippets that seem to incriminate you in a crime. Can’t happen? Think again. California police officers have won the right to selectively tape you. It’s the Rush Limbaugh method of police work and by any fair measure it’s disgraceful. Today, Register opinion writer Steven Greenhut slams Orange County state representative Todd Spitzer (R-Brea) for his att

  September 30, 2007

• Hilarious Quote of The Year Award Goes To...

  Peter Callahan, longtime attorney for the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Today, the Orange County Register plays catchup to the Los Angeles Times and interviews Scott Hicks, who claims Bishop Tod D. Brown abused him decades ago. Again, no mention of the fact that the Weekly broke this story six months ago. But we're straying from our point. In the Register piece, Callahan was asked to comment about Brown. Not only does Callahan label Hicks' allegation as an "attack," but he then offers this gem:

  September 30, 2007

• Diocesan Lawyers All of a Sudden Uppity

  For decades, the Catholic Diocese of Orange has dealt with survivors of its pedo-priests in secrecy--sealed settlements, claimed ignorance, and always, always, away from a jury. In none of the civil settlements that the Orange diocese signed off on were there any admission of guilt by the priest or diocesan lay employee charged with molestation. That's what makes the current strategy by longtime diocesan lawyer Peter Callahan so bizarre. Callahan has represented the Orange diocese on almost all

  October 3, 2007

• Breaking: Orange Diocese Settles Andrade Case

  Scroll down for updates as they come... Just received word that the Catholic Diocese of Orange just settled a civil suit filed against it and former Mater Dei High School boys' basketball coach Jeff Andrade. Strange, considering diocesan lawyers were publicly proclaiming they were raring to start the trial. And isn't it convenient that they announce it on a Friday afternoon, just as the weekend starts and reporters are busy planning how to lose the weekend in a glass of Jack Daniels? Details as

  October 5, 2007

• The Orange Diocese's Record-Breaking Streak

  This year's edition of our annual Scariest People issue includes two entries from the Catholic Diocese of Orange: lead sex-abuse lawyer Peter Callahan and Varsity Gold, the high-school fundraising outfit that hired and proudly employees statutory rapist (and former Mater Dei boys' assistant basketball coach) Jeff Andrade. With those two entries, the Orange diocese enters the Weekly's record books as the organization with the longest consecutive streak of appearances in Scariest. The previous ent

  October 29, 2007

• Petey Callahan At it Again

  On the eve of a December 3 contempt-of-court hearing against Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown, longtime diocesan lawyer (and Orange County's 14th Scariest Person for 2007) Peter Callahan remains brazenly arrogant in discussing his client's terrible role in protecting pedophiles and statutory rapists. This time around, Callahan granted an "interview" to the Orange diocese's website (if by "interview," you can accept it as "shameless attempt at spin paid for by the faithful's donatio

  November 15, 2007

• OC Diocese Not Paying Sex-Abuse Victims?

  On Oct. 5, Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown announced that the Orange diocese had settled four molestation claims against former lay employees for $6.685 million. Today, the Orange diocese is supposed to pay up--but plaintiff's attorney John Manly says Bishop Brown and his cronies have delayed too long. This morning, Manly sent out a letter to longtime diocesan lawyer (and Orange County's 14th scariest person this year) Peter Callahan expressing outrage over the fact he's not retur

  November 20, 2007

• Thursday's Headlines. No Surprises: Bishop Brown citation dropped

  Bishop Brown citation dropped: The Los Angeles Times reports that a contempt-of-court citation against Orange Bishop Tod Brown has been dropped as part of an almost-$7 million sex abuse settlement. Plaintiff's attorney John Manly said the diocese forced them to drop their bid for the citation: "The diocese insisted that it be done this way or they would have refused to pay our clients." But Diocese of Orange attorney Peter Callahan, in typical Callahan form, said the contempt case was dismissed

  November 29, 2007

• A Challenge to Mater Dei Apologists

  Congratulations, Mater Dei alumni, students, and anyone who has any pride because of your relationship to the Catholic high school! My open letter to current Monarchs quarterback Matt Barkley asking him to think twice about lending his prodigious arm to a school that long tolerated rapist teachers and administrators is now the second-most-commented post in Navel Gazing history ever (the record holder is R. Scott Moxley's news of former Orange County sheriff Mike Carona's indictment). Most of t

  February 14, 2008

• Petey Callahan Bilks OC Catholics But Good

  It's been a rough half-year for Peter Callahan of the Tustin law firm Callahan, McCune & Willis, mostly because of his big mouth. The head lawyer for the Catholic Diocese of Orange sex-abuse scandal unwittingly revealed in September the sealed amount Bishop Tod D. Brown gave to a statutory rapist, barked at a sex-abuse survivor during a press conference, and did enough other wackiness to earn the title of one of our Scariest People late last year. Through it all, diocesan apologists said nothin

  February 21, 2008

• a Peek at the Bishop's Past

  December 6, 2007

• [Scariest People 2008] The Sexorcist

  October 30, 2008

• Tod and Me

  December 27, 2007

• ?Quien Es Mas Mafia?

  November 29, 2007

• OC's Scariest People

  Our Congressional delegation tops this year’s list of 33 villains (31 for October, plus two more to get to the Dia de los Muertos, ese)

  October 25, 2007

• Fiddlin' in St. Augustine

  October 11, 2007

• Bad Moves

  September 27, 2007

• King of the County Pedophiles

  December 15, 2005

• King of the County Pedophiles

  December 15, 2005

• OC Diocese Lawyer Trashes OC Weekly But Still Loses

  Last month, famed Newport Beach attorney John Manly sent two associates to Monterey so they could argue before a judge why Manly should depose Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown. Why Monterey? Brown was the Diocese of Monterey Chancellor until 1989, and Manly represents an alleged clerical sex-abuse victim from the region. Brown, needless to say, doesn't want to go through a Manly deposition, mainly because His Excellency is terrible before an interrogator and has sicced his lawyers

  July 9, 2007

• OC Diocese Priorities: Surfers and Facebook, Yes; Sex-Abuse Victims, No

  ​Priorities, priorities, priorities: The Catholic Diocese of Orange is already heavily promoting the Blessing of the Waves, an easy stab at a national feel-good story they began last year than involves surfers, priests, and prayer at Huntington Beach. "In Orange County our beaches are more than simple geography, they are the cultural and spiritual center of our community. It is important that we recognize this common element in all our lives, regardless of faith tradition," read the event's Fa

  September 2, 2009