Defense Asks Judge To Throw Out Evidence In Ex-priest’s Case

(Information in the following story is from: American Press, http://www.americanpress.com)

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — The attorneys for a former Calcasieu Parish priest accused of molesting young parishioners are asking a judge to stop prosecutors from telling a jury about allegations of other crimes.

Mark Anthony Broussard is to stand trial Sept. 21 on five counts that he molested and raped boys while serving as a parish priest between 1986 and 1991.

Broussard was originally charged with 224 counts of child sexual abuse, but some charges involving one of the boys were too old to prosecute.

The American Press reports that defense attorneys want prosecutors barred from mentioning the counts that were dropped to the jury. They argue Broussard has no prior criminal history and evidence of the alleged other crimes would only turn the jury against the ex-priest.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.