TTSOML #53: Meeting Dan Gatti

After I received the two citations from Mt. Angel police, knowing they were false charges and that they were requested by the Mt. Angel Abbey, I went to Dan Gatti. Dan Gatti was one of the lawyers, who, I was told, was handling cases of clergy abuse.

I hadn't contacted attorneys over Br. Ansgar's attempt to take me to a shack in the woods, but after they improperly used police against me, to cover for their own problems, I did.

I still remember what I wore to Gatti's office. I had jeans on, with a cream colored knit shirt and a tan and grey blazer over. Dan Gatti's office had an Italian feel, or rather, his firm did, with traditional colors and a lot of clay and marble. In his office, he sat behind a long desk and had a large jar of Jellybellies sitting in front of the chair I sat in.

I told Dan what had happened and showed him tickets and he said that in both cases, I was wrongfully charged. He said neither ticket would hold up in court and said he was shocked they had used police against me at all. He also said I had grounds for a lawsuit against them and that he wanted to take my case. The first thing he said he would do is "get rid of" the tickets and that he wanted to meet with their lawyer Dick Whittemore, about everything. Dan asked me about my sexual past in that meeting. He said it would come up in such a case, where the monks were trying to impugn guilt to me and where my "character" would be called into question.

I told Dan everything. I told him that I had had only one sexual relationship in my life, and that it ended amicably, aside from a rape. I told Dan how I had told Fr. Joachim and Br. Ansgar also knew about the rape, even before Ansgar tried to take me out to a shack by lying to me about where we were going. Dan couldn't believe I'd only had one relationship, and that this relationship was a year past, and I hadn't been with anyone else. I told Dan I had gone back to my values and beliefs that sex was to be reserved for marriage, before I'd ever met the monks. Dan said he had to introduce me to his son, and said dramatically, "He's a VIRGIN."

Dan told me he wanted me to go to church with him and his son and that he wanted to introduce his son to me. He asked about the rest of my past and character and I had zero negative history. I'd never been in trouble with the law, I'd never been depressed or anxious or had any mental health problem or diagnosis, and I didn't drink, smoke, or party. I'd never done drugs, and all my community work was ongoing. My references and work references were excellent. I had no enemies. None, except those at Mt. Angel Abbey, and then the police they used against me, who went to their church.

I left with Dan telling me he was taking my case on the spot. He invited me to church with him and his son. He also asked my permission to speak with Dick Whittemore and the Mt. Angel police and Mt. Angel City Hall and I said yes.