Opinion ID: 1135777
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Florez

Text: Gomez, now 30 years old, claims that 18 years ago when he was about 12, Florez, then a priest, molested him. This was between 1978 and 1980. Gomez then led a nomadic life as a stripper and prostitute. Twelve years later, in 1990, he claims to have remembered these incidents and reported the abuse to a priest in late 1990, who then informed the Diocese of Phoenix. Gomez Affidavit at 4. On December 21, 1990, Gomez was interviewed by Diocesan lawyer, Ernest Calderon. Gomez said that his own lawyer, Kenneth Buford, consented to the interview without his presence. At that interview, Gomez said: A lot of people ask you this one question. It may be floating through your mind as well. You ask me why did you take so long to come up and say something else. Well I'll tell you this. I couldn't deal with it. I didn't have no one to turn to. I wasn't ready to come up and talk about it, now I am. Now I'm able to deal with it. Transcript of Gomez interview at 11 (emphasis added). On May 17, 1991, Calderon wrote to Gomez and his lawyer, Kenneth Buford, indicating that after investigation, the Diocese had concluded that Gomez's claim was without merit. He also informed Gomez of the two year statute of limitations under A.R.S. § 12-542 and that it was the position of the Diocese that the statute had run. On June 27, 1991, Gomez's new lawyer, Craig Zirbel, wrote Calderon that his office was investigating the matter and reviewing the statute of limitations issue. Mr. Zirbel indicated that Gomez had also retained a Minnesota lawyer, Jeff Anderson, who specialized in sexual abuse cases against priests. Gomez filed an action against Florez on June 30, 1993. Gomez moved for summary judgment on the statute of limitations defense arguing that it was tolled because (1) he was of unsound mind within the meaning of A.R.S. § 12-502, (2) he was under duress, (3) his memory was repressed, and (4) he did not connect the sexual abuse to his injuries until within two years of filing the action. Florez filed a cross-motion for summary judgment on the statute of limitations defense. Concluding that there was an issue of fact, the trial judge denied both motions. Florez filed a petition for special action, but the court of appeals declined jurisdiction. Believing that this was one of those rare cases that justified extraordinary relief, we granted Florez's petition for review. In support of his motion for summary judgment, Gomez submitted the affidavits of two experts indicating that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, sexual identity problems, and other problems indicating an unsound mind.