 |
| A slimmer Msgr. Lynn arrives at the Criminal Justice Center |
for Bigtrial.net
It was a dog and pony show that was over in a few minutes.
A noticeably slimmer Msgr. William J. Lynn made a totally unnecessary appearance this afternoon in the courtroom of Judge M. Teresa Sarmina to review conditions of his bail.
Lynn, who lost 80 pounds in jail, was released Friday after his conviction on one count of child endangerment was reversed by the state Superior Court.
The judge told Lynn his appearance was required to "personally have addressed you to make sure you understand what the conditions of your release are."
"Yes, Your Honor," Lynn replied.
The conditions basically amount to house arrest. Lynn has to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle at all times. He will be restricted to staying on two floors of the rectory at St. William's parish at 6200 Rising Sun Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. He will have to check in with his parole officer every week. He will need his parole officer's permission whenever he wants to leave the rectory to visit, say his doctor or his lawyer.
Sarmina asked Lynn if he was aware that if he violated any of the judge's conditions, that his bail would immediately be revoked and he would "return to prison."
"I am," he replied.
Sarmina asked Lynn if he was aware that she had already signed an arrest warrant that would be issued if the monsignor violated any provision of his electronic monitoring.
"I am," the monsignor said.
With that it was over. If Lynn behaves, it should be his last appearance in Judge Sarmina's courtroom.
Sarmina presided over the monsignor's show trial in 2012. It was her application of the law in that case that was described by the Superior Court as "fundamentally flawed."
Sarmina was true to form today in requiring the monsignor to return to her courtroom to tell him something he already knew, her conditions for bail that Lynn's lawyers had already agreed to.
If Judge Sarmina had told Lynn to stand on his head, he would have done so.
But the judge got last burst of headlines out of the case, and the news media got a chance to get some fresh pictures of a slimmer monsignor.
So presumably everyone went home happy.
Outside the courtroom, Msgr. Lynn declined to speak to the media. He answered only one question, how he lost 80 pounds in prison.
His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, took care of the rest of the questions.
While Bergstrom was addressing the media outside the CJC, Lynn tried to sneak out another door and leave without being noticed. But reporters and photographers made a mad dash after the monsignor. While Lynn walked away a couple of brain-dead hecklers chased him as well, repeatedly yelling "pedophile" at him.
"He [Williams] shouldn't be out there denigrating the court and denigrating the archdiocese for posting bail," Bergstrom said.
Bergstrom was more forthcoming on how Lynn lost so much weight.
He was on "a strict diet and he worked out on a treadmill" every day, the lawyer said.