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Monsignor William Lynn Meeting With Defense Lawyer Over Bail Question

By Steve Tawa

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Monsignor William Lynn, the high-ranking Roman Catholic official convicted in the priest sex abuse scandal, will be meeting with his defense lawyer today, to figure out whether to seek bail, again. It follows last month's court proceeding that sent him back to prison.

The former senior official in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was convicted of a single count of child endangerment in 2012 over his handling of priest sexual abuse complaints.

Monsignor Lynn served about half of a 3-6 year prison sentence, but was released on bail in 2014, after Superior Court reversed his conviction. In late April, the State Supreme Court reversed a key element of that decision, and back behind bars he went.

Defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom says while the case has been remanded to Superior Court, the three-judge panel may not hear arguments until September.

That's why he'll ask his client about filing a bail petition to return to house arrest pending appeals, or staying put.

"I can certainly understand why he would not want to be a jack-in-the-box again, to come out and go back in eventually," Bergstrom says.

Bergstrom says their focus is resolving the case once and for all.

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