Attorneys for man accused of beating priest he says abused him request mistrial

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Attorneys for Will Lynch, accused of beating former priest Jerry Lindner, who he says abused him in the 1970's, have filed a motion for a mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct.

Will Lynch is accused of beating Father Jerry Lindner in 2010, but claims Lindner molested him in the 1970s.

Lynch's trial was interrupted Thursday morning by shouting from the hallway and the bailiff rushing out of the courtroom. "Father Lindner, Father Jerry was brought up through the stairwell and there was a confrontation," Lynch supporter Christina Smith told ABC7 News.

The disruption involved a woman named Debbie Lukus who says she was molested for years by the former priest. "It happened really fast. 'I have a right. You need to look at me.' And then the bailiff or whoever stopped her and she started crying," witness Tamara Roehm recalled.

"It could have gotten physical. What do you expect? This guy did some evil things to a lot of people and nobody's done nothing about it all these years," witness John Allen said.

Lindner took the stand for the first time in his life Wednesday. He accused Lynch of beating him, but denied molesting Lynch and his brother in 1975. In her opening statement though, the prosecutor said her own witness would probably lie about the molestation and it appears that has triggered an avalanche of legal issues.

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