Cancer-stricken former priest seeks jury's leniency after sodomy convictions for 1970s abuse

Published December 01, 2015

Former Catholic priest James Schook, right, leaves a Louisville, Ky., courtroom with his brother on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Schook, who has terminal cancer, is facing charges of sexual abuse with two teenage boys in the 1970s. As testimony began Tuesday in the long-delayed trial, a witness said that he had numerous sexual encounters with Schook, beginning at age 13, at a Louisville church. (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan) (The Associated Press)

A lawyer for a former priest convicted on felony sex abuse charges is asking a jury to be lenient on James Schook, who has terminal cancer.

A jury convicted Schook, 66, on Wednesday of three counts of sodomy and one count of indecent or immoral practice with another for incidents that occurred with a teenage boy at a Louisville church in the early 1970s. The maximum possible punishment is 25 years in prison.

Schook's attorney, David Lambertus, said Thursday that the minimum time Schook could serve in prison is two years before he is eligible for parole. He said that would be a significant amount of time for someone at the end of their life.

The jury will issue a recommendation on Schook's sentence to Circuit Judge Mitch Perry.