Yesterday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments (webcast of arguments) in Doe v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield. (Docket entries and documents.) The court's summary of the issues involved reads:
Where the trial court denied the defendant's motion to dismiss an action alleging sexual abuse by clergy, whether the defendant may pursue an interlocutory appeal of a ruling that neither charitable immunity nor the First Amendment provides a basis to dismiss the plaintiff's claims.
Courthouse News Service has a lengthy summary of the oral arguments.
