By Ken Maguire, Associated Press, 08/23/02

| Complete coverage |  AG'S REPORT Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly released the results of a 16-month investigation into clergy sex abuse in the Boston archdiocese. Download report [PDF, 1.4 MB] (File requires Adobe Acrobat)  TODAY'S GLOBE A new leader reaches out 3 faces in crowd bound in hopeh At BC, students watch with awe O'Malley's homily reveals frank man Near cathedral, voices of protest 'Good priests' moved to tears Text of Archbishop O'Malley's homily Sandwiches, chips were bill of fare An angry protest, and prayers  GRAPHICS The moment of installation Viewer's guide Ceremony TV coverage  Processional O'Malley's vestments O'Malley's coat of arms Cathedral of the Holy Cross  REALVIDEO | NECN.com | Help with video | O'Malley to be installed today Great expectations of O'Malley Video clips require RealPlayer and Windows 98 or higher.  INTERACTIVE FEATURE An interactive timeline of the developing church crisis, featuring photos and audio.   View timeline  IN-DEPTH Boston's new archbishop Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley has been chosen to succeed Cardinal Law as leader of the archdiocese. Reaction to O'Malley appointment Accused priests are vindicated Three priests have been exonerated after being suspended from their posts over abuse allegations.  CARDINAL BERNARD LAW Coverage of his resignation Career timeline: Priest to cardinal Changing statements on abuse Coverage of his tenure in Boston Photos: Law through the years Boston.com readers' comments  CONTACT SPOTLIGHT If you have information on child abuse by priests, call (617) 929-3208 Or leave a confidential message at this number (617) 929-7483 The Spotlight Team e-mail address is spotlight@globe.com.

BOSTON -- The Boston Archdiocese and alleged sex abuse victims of defrocked priest John Geoghan have reached a tentative $10 million settlement, Cardinal Bernard Law's attorney said Tuesday.

"Tentative is the operative word," attorney J. Owen Todd said of a deal that could end civil suits brought by 86 people shortly before a judge planned to rule on the validity of a previous settlement worth up to $30 million.

Church lawyers made the latest offer in late July, Todd said, before the sides went to court to determine if the previous settlement was binding.

Todd said that Mitchell Garabedian, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told him Tuesday morning that all but one of the plaintiffs had agreed to the settlement. All plaintiffs must agree for the deal to be finalized.

Garabedian did not immediately return a call to comment on Tuesday night.

Garabedian asked Superior Court Judge Constance Sweeney to enforce the previous agreement, which called for the archdiocese to make payments to victims ranging from $10,000 to $938,000 each.

The settlement was announced in March, but the archdiocese backed out in May when its finance council rejected it.

The new offer has been approved by the finance council, Todd said.

"Whether it was needed or not was debatable, but it was obtained," he said, adding that Law also approved it. "This settlement is doable with insurance funds. The other settlement required a substantial amount of borrowing."

Sweeney had encouraged the lawyers to settle before she ruled on the first offer.

One plaintiff would not confirm or deny a tentative deal.

"I don't know anything. I don't trust anything," said Ralph DelVecchio, 45, who says Geoghan molested him when he was about 10 at St. Paul Parish in Hingham. "Once burned, twice learned. I'll believe it when I see it."