Catholic leaders don't want priest list released

A judge in St. Paul is considering arguments that the names of about a dozen Roman Catholic priests accused in church files of sexual misconduct should remain private.

Attorney Jeff Anderson, who has filed many lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by priests, wants to make the lists of priests from the Winona and St. Paul-Minneapolis dioceses public.

There are 33 names from St. Paul-Minneapolis; all but 10 of them have been made public before. An archdiocese spokesman said none of those 10 are still priests and none of them have been criminally or civilly accused.

There are 13 names from Winona, only five are publicly known.

The two sides made their arguments in Ramsey County District Court on Wednesday morning.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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