Legal fees of Tucson Diocese approach $800,000

TUCSON - The bill in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson's bankruptcy case stands at nearly $800,000 after four months, according to recent court filings.

The expenses, mostly legal fees, are in keeping with what would be expected in a Chapter 11 case, bankruptcy experts said. The final tally will depend on how long the case is in court.

The Tucson Diocese, which serves 350,000 Catholics in nine Arizona counties, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in September in the face of 22 pending legal actions alleging sexual abuse of children by priests. Its filing was the second by a diocese; the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., filed in July.

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