Judgment Day

Good News just in via email from the Diocese of Los Angeles:

Judgments grant Long Beach, North Hollywood properties to Diocese

[The Episcopal News, Los Angeles] -- Final Judgments in favor of the Diocese of Los Angeles and the Episcopal Church in cases regarding Long Beach and North Hollywood property disputes have been entered by the Orange County Superior Court.

"The Judgments conclude the trial court portion of the cases and declare that the Diocese holds the properties in trust for the current and future mission of the Episcopal Church," said diocesan attorney John R. Shiner. "It is ordered, adjudged and decreed that final judgment is entered in favor of Plaintiffs [including] the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles... and Plaintiff-In-Intervention The Episcopal Church and against defendants," each Judgment reads.

"We will move forward with an orderly transition," said the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, who was present in the courtroom Aug. 24 for the recent proceedings. "Being people of compassion and understanding, we have been in touch with the attorneys for both congregations, and we will make every effort to respect the dignity of all involved."

The Court will take up another case, involving the congregation of St. James', Newport Beach, on Oct. 24.

The litigation began eight years ago when a majority of members of All Saints' Church in Long Beach, St. David's Church in North Hollywood, and St. James' Church in Newport Beach voted to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Los Angeles. A Court returned a fourth property -- St. Luke's of the Mountains Church in La Crescenta -- to the Diocese in 2009.