Ramon Mercado, right, recalls childhood clergy sexual abuse while his lawyer, Adam Slater, left, takes notes during an interview in his office overlooking St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York, Oct. 29, 2019.
AP Photo / Bebeto Matthews
New York-based reporters Bernard Condon and Jim Mustian took a hard look at the financial reckoning of the U.S. Roman Catholic sex abuse trials, reporting exclusively that changing laws and attitudes could translate into a flood of lawsuits with potential payouts topping $4 billion. Condon and Mustian reported on the potential impact of new laws, enacted in 15 states, that extend or suspend the statute of limitations governing claims. The pair found several attorneys who have turned their entire practices over to such cases, with TV ads and billboards seeking clients. https://bit.ly/36oRoJX