wfn.org | Grady released from prison

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3076 notes).

Note 3075 by UMNS on July 23, 1996 at 15:44 Eastern (2417 characters).

SEARCH: Grady, sexual abuse, appeal, sentence, New York
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of
the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New
York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Green                              361(10-71){3075}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             July 23, 1996

New York United Methodist 
clergyman released from prison 

by Kate SantaColoma*

     NEW YORK (UMNS) -- United Methodist clergyman Nathaniel Grady
was released from prison July 11 after serving more than 10 years
of a convicted sentence for sexually abusing children at a Bronx,
N.Y., day care center in 1986.
     He was released from Fishkill Correctional facility pending
an appeal process.
     Grady, a clergy member of the New York Annual Conference, was
convicted by a Bronx Criminal Court jury after charges were
brought against him for rape, sexual abuse and sodomy of five boys
and girls at the Westchester-Tremont Day Care Center in 1984. He
was sentenced to 15 to 45 years in prison.
     Not believing the indictments against Grady, members of the
New York United Methodist Annual Conference initiated a campaign
and collected money over the years to help finance his defense
fund.
     Throughout his ordeal, Grady maintained his innocence and in
June, U.S. District Court Judge John G. Koeltl ruled that Grady
must receive a judicial review within 60 days or be freed because
he was denied effective counsel when his former attorney failed in
his appeal. 
     Joel B. Rudin, Grady's current counsel, said the appeal
process could take six to 18 months.
     In a continued show of support by members of the New York
Annual Conference, The United Methodist City Society signed a
$200,000 unsecured bond to free Grady. 
     Upon leaving the Fishkill Correctional Facility, Grady went
to the Fishkill United Methodist Church to attend a reception held
in his honor. 
     He attended Sunday services at Trinity United Methodist
Church, White Plains, N.Y., July 21 and delivered the sermon, the
first time in the pulpit since his release. On Sunday, July 28, a
service of Thanksgiving will be held at the St. Luke's United
Methodist Church in New Rochelle. 
                               # # #
     *SantaColoma is the editor of The Vision, newspaper of the
New York Conference of the United Methodist Church.    

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