From Denver-
The Rev. Don Armstrong, who founded St. George's Anglican Church after he and his congregation lost the battle for the Grace Church building in Colorado Springs, called the disposition Friday of his criminal theft case "divine intervention."
Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut, whose office provided a special prosecutor, called the disposition "just." And the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, which last year took back Grace Church in civil court from Armstrong after he became an Anglican priest, said the end of the criminal case would bring "healing to all those harmed by Armstrong's actions."
Yet reports and interpretation of the plea deal have created confusion.
Since 2009 Armstrong had faced 20 counts of felony theft, totaling $392,000, allegedly taken from his own Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish.
The diocese accused him of criminal conduct, but most St. Stephen's parishioners supported Armstrong's denials of wrongdoing. Most also joined him in breaking away from the Episcopal Church in May 2007 to join theologically conservative Anglicans opposed to the ordination of openly gay or lesbian priests and same-sex marriage.
Armstrong, 61, and his attorney, Dennis Hartley, have said in statements and interviews recently that the charges were reduced to one "fictitious" count of misdemeanor theft. They called it close to a dismissal.
"It is still his contention he did nothing wrong," Hartley said Monday.
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http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16128975#ixzz10A8kjb12
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