(WWJ) A former Macomb County priest is slated to face trial for criminal sexual assault.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said a judge ruled there’s enough probable cause to charge Neil Kalina, 66, in Macomb County Circuit Court. He was a priest at St. Kieran Catholic Church on Mound near 24 Mile between 1982 and 1985.
“As we marked the three-year anniversary of our Clergy Abuse Investigation at the beginning of the month, I hope our continued prosecution against Mr. Kalina serves as a reminder of our ongoing commitment to securing justice for abuse survivors,” Nessel said.
Kalina was first charged in 2019 and arrested about 55 miles away from Los Angeles. The case has since been reissued to include first degree sexual conduct.
He is facing charges of first degree and second degree criminal sexual conduct with a child between 13 and 15—the former charge punishable by life in prison. The latter is punishable by 15 years in prison.
A second case against Kalina, charged over the summer, was dismissed at the preliminary exam because the survivor “was unable to proceed with the prosecution at this time,” Nessel’s office said.
Eleven people have been charged and four convicted since the inception of the Department of Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Investigation. The previous convictions included a former Catholic school music teacher earlier this year.
Kalina is set to appear in court on November 1.
