The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down an appeal by the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., to block release of thousands of documents relating to cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests.
An Associated Press report said that it is unknown when the documents, relating to cases settled in 2001, will be released. The files have been sought by four newspapers, The New York Times, The Harford Courant, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe.
According to the AP story, the clerk of Superior Court in Connecticut, which earlier ruled against the diocese's request, said a judge would be consulted "to determine whether a hearing is necessary before the records are released."