In brief: Names of church leaders to stay in priest abuse files

LOS ANGELES – After a lengthy legal fight, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles says it will soon turn over 30,000 pages of confidential priest personnel files without blacking out the names of church leaders who made key decisions about how to handle priests accused of sexual abuse.

Michael Hennigan, archdiocese attorney, said Wednesday that the church has given up on its plan to redact the names and the files should be turned over within weeks.

The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times have been fighting in court with the church over how much identifying information would be revealed about church leaders responsible for the abusive priests.

The files’ disclosure was triggered by a $660 million settlement in 2007 but was delayed five years by a legal battle over priests’ privacy rights.

• In Philadelphia, a jury on Wednesday convicted a priest and teacher in a pivotal church-abuse case that rocked the Philadelphia archdiocese and sent a church official to prison for child endangerment.

The verdict upholds the account from a troubled 24-year-old policeman’s son that he was sexually abused as a boy by two priests and his sixth-grade teacher. One priest took a plea deal before trial, while the jury convicted the Rev. Charles Engelhardt and former teacher Bernard Shero of all but one count.

The 2009 complaint describing the abuse led to the conviction last year of Monsignor William Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy in Philadelphia. Lynn is serving three to six years in prison for his role transferring an admitted pedophile priest to the accuser’s northeast Philadelphia parish. A string of priest victims testified in Lynn’s case, but none said they had been passed around like the policeman’s son.

Three injured in explosion in hashish extraction process

SAN DIEGO – Two people were critically burned Wednesday in an explosion in an Ocean Beach, Calif.-area motel room that was being used to extract hashish oil from marijuana, San Diego officials said.

The 20-year-old woman and 21-year-old man were using butane as a heat source in the process when the man lit a cigarette, causing the explosion, officials said.

Windows were blown out of several rooms in the three-story motel. Walls collapsed. A man staying in an adjacent room was injured by flying debris.

Fumes from the butane apparently were ignited when the man lit the cigarette.

Cowan to fill Kerry’s seat

BOSTON – William “Mo” Cowan, a former top aide to Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, was selected by Patrick on Wednesday to serve as interim U.S. senator for Massachusetts until a special election is held to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s confirmation as the nation’s new secretary of state.

Cowan, 43, became chief-of-staff to Patrick in 2010 after serving as chief legal counsel during the governor’s first term. He stepped down as Patrick’s top aide in December, though he remained on as a senior adviser through the filing last week of the governor’s state budget request.

He’ll serve until after the special election, scheduled for June 25. He said he’s humbled by the appointment.

Lab is still top dog in America

NEW YORK – The American Kennel Club says the Labrador retriever is the nation’s most popular dog for the 22nd straight year – for attributes that range from family-friendly pet to search-and-rescue nose.

The German shepherd still commands the No. 2 spot, according to the AKC top 10 list released Wednesday.

And the golden retriever has nudged out the beagle for the No. 3 rung.

The beagle is now fourth. The rest of the pack: bulldog, Yorkshire terrier, boxer, poodle, Rottweiler and dachshund.