A timeline of charges involving priests in Minnesota
June 6, 2015 at 2:59AM
2013
February: The Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer is sentenced to prison for abusing two boys in 2010. He is later defrocked.
May: Minnesota Child Victims Act prompts the filing of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse, some decades old.
September: Whistleblower Jennifer Haselberger says church officials knew of Wehmeyer's sexual misconduct.
December: Under court order, archdiocese releases names of 33 credibly accused priests.
2014
January: Ramsey County declines to charge church officials in Wehmeyer case, saying it can't prove they violated law requiring immediate reporting of abuse allegations.
March: Ramsey district judge orders archdiocese to produce files related to credibly accused priests.
April: Archdiocese's internal task force reports "serious shortcomings" in its handling of child sex abuse.
May: First criminal charges following new law are filed against former priest Francis Hoefgen in Dakota County.
October: Archdiocese and clergy abuse victims reach settlement, including reforms in reporting abuse.
2015
Jan. 16: Archdiocese declares bankruptcy, citing burden of clergy abuse lawsuits.
Feb. 11: Ramsey County declines to charge cases of alleged priest sex abuse, bringing the number to nine.
May 26: Jury acquits Hoefgen of abusing boy in 1989-92.
June 5: Ramsey County files charges against archdiocese for "failure to protect children" from clergy abuse.
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Republicans across the country benefited from favorable tailwinds as President-elect Donald Trump resoundingly defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. But that wasn’t the whole story in Minnesota.
