Orange County CA diocese reaches settlement in 87 abuse cases News
Orange County CA diocese reaches settlement in 87 abuse cases

[JURIST] The Catholic Diocese of Orange County, CA, has reached a settlement with 87 victims over alleged clergy abuse that is larger than the $85 million settlement agreed to by the Boston Archdiocese last year. The terms of the agreement reached Thursday were not released under an order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Owen Lee Kwong. Church officials said the settlement would not bankrupt the diocese or require the closing of any parishes. Settlement negotiations have been underway for two years, but picked up again this week after months of being stalled.The diocese has more on sexual misconduct claims. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

No lynchings reported in US for first time

On December 30, 1952, the Tuskegee Institute reported that 1952 was the first year of no lynchings of African Americans in the United States in the 71 years it had kept records. Learn more about lynching and listen to Billie Holiday's jazz recording of the 1938 protest song Strange Fruit.

USSR established

On December 30, 1922, representatives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Transcaucus approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, creating the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). During World War II, the USSR would also annex Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Moldova. Learn more about the history of the USSR from the BBC.