Sunday, November 22, 2009

ONGOING COVERAGE: MORNING STAR INVESTIGATION

Spokane

In brief

Morning Star fights ruling

August 10, 2007

Attorneys for Morning Star Boys' Ranch are asking the Washington state Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision requiring the ranch to release more than 1,000 personal files of former residents to attorneys representing 13 men who say they were sexually abused as boys.

In May, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke granted a motion by the attorneys for seven of the plaintiffs that Morning Star release the records but stayed the order pending an appeal by attorneys for the boys ranch.

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At the time, Clarke reminded attorneys of the "utmost sensitivity" of the files and barred their public release.

Since then, six more men have been added as litigants in civil cases in which Morning Star officials have been accused of covering up abuse.

Seattle attorney Timothy Kosnoff, who represents the plaintiffs, said the files are necessary in order to interview possible witnesses to abuse during the nearly 50 years the boys ranch has operated south of Spokane.

He bemoaned the defense attorneys' "notice of discretionary review" filed with the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

"It's unfortunate because we were scheduled for trial in January, and this delay will probably cost us our trial date," Kosnoff said.

The Spokane law office representing Morning Star – Keefe, King and Bowman – did not return a call seeking comment Thursday.

Two brothers were arrested Thursday in connection with a string of North Side tire slashings last week.

According to Spokane police, the 13- and 14-year-old boys are believed to have damaged more than 30 tires, as well as caused other vandalism in the neighborhood from the 2400 block of North Atlantic to the 2100 block of West Gardner.

The 13-year-old boy called a police tip line Wednesday night to admit slashing tires, and he identified his partner in crime, according to a news release.

Damages were estimated at more than $1,500, police said.

The two, who police would not identify because they are juveniles, are also believed to have shattered windows of the gazebo at the West Central Community Center recently, police said.

Each boy could face charges of malicious mischief.