The Roman Catholic Bishop of San Diego, a California Corporation Sole serving Imperial and San Diego Counties, filed for Chapter 11 protection on June 17, 2024 in the Southern District of California (Case No. 24-02202) before Judge Christopher B. Latham. This is the diocese's second bankruptcy filing, following a 2007 restructuring that settled 144 sexual abuse claims for $198 million (averaging approximately $1.4 million per claim). California's AB 218 statute-of-limitations revival triggered a second wave of claims, with 457 sexual abuse claims filed as of the petition date, mostly dating from the 1940s through 1970s. News reports estimated the diocese would face $550 million in liability if settled at comparable rates to the prior bankruptcy. The case features dual-mediator oversight (Buckley (Ret.) and Finn), comprehensive survivor claim confidentiality protocols, and mediation addressing insurance coverage disputes, channeling injunction structure, and post-confirmation trust governance.
