LOS ANGELES  Alleging they had been molested by members of its clergy, about 800 people filed suit against the Roman Catholic Church as the deadline approached to a waiver of the statue of limitations. "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Under the statute, individuals alleging abuse may file suit only until their 26th birthday or within three years of discovering emotional problems linked to molestation. State lawmakers had given potential plaintiffs who were no longer eligible under the rule until Jan. 1 to make their claims.
"We have a great desire to deal with these claims in mediation and try to reach a settlement for all claims involved," said Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which was named in about 500 lawsuits.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the suits could yield one of the nation's largest clergy-abuse settlements, according to The Associated Press.
