U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel on Thursday granted the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul the extra six months it wanted on exclusive rights to file its reorganization plan, but he smacked down a request to hire more consultants — even at the discounted rate of $595 per hour.
The Archdiocese wanted to hire BRG Capstone to handle any possible future clergy sex abuse or other claims that people could file against it, even though the deadline for filing those has passed.
Certain groups of people, such as minors for instance, might argue that the deadline didn't apply to them, the church argued.
BRG Capstone, a global consultant based outside San Francisco, estimated the job would take about $150,000.
Archdiocese lawyer Richard Anderson noted that many other archdioceses in bankruptcy have hired special teams to handle future claimants.
Kressel wasn't having any of it.
"My reaction to that is the same as your mother's would be," Kressel told the courtroom.
Kressel declared the possibility of future claims "remote." If people do come forward, they wouldn't require special representation because they are already represented by the Committee of Unsecured Creditors, he said.
