LOS ANGELES (AP) - Secret files kept for decades by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles on priests accused of sex abuse could soon become public.
A judge will hear final objections today from accused priests who want to keep their records private.
A recent legal decision, however, paved the way for the files' release and the state's high court refused to intervene.
The documents are expected to show how church leaders handled reports of sex abuse, what they knew and when they knew it.
The legal battle to unseal the files has dragged on since 2007 despite a $660 million settlement that called for their disclosure.
The files aren't expected to be released today but the judge is likely to set a timeline to make them public by early 2013 or sooner.
