Monsignor William Lynn may be freed this week after a judge in Pennsylvania set bail at $250,000 Monday.
According to The Associated Press, Lynn has been serving a three to six year sentence for the way that he handled sex abuse claims against other priests. He was the first church official to be convicted in this scandal.
An appellate panel through Lynn’s conviction out last week, saying that he was convicted under a child endangerment law that technically did not apply to the Monsignor. Lynn was not able to attend the hearing today because prosecutors believe that he is a flight risk and may flee.
The Philadelphia district attorney said that he vows that Lynn’s conviction will stand, even after this attempted appeal. According to Philly.com, the church official served 18 months of the three to six year sentence at a state correctional institution in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Lynn’s conviction stood on the grounds that he reassigned known predators to different parishes in the area.
The Assistant District Attorney, Hugh J. Burns Jr., said that, “This case established that people inside the hierarchy, people in authority, who tried to cover it up could be investigated and prosecuted. If this isn't, we're losing ground. We're taking a step back."