Profile Facts
- Name
- James A. Holtz
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gaylord
- Ordained
- 1974
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
If you were harmed by Father James A. Holtz or another member of the Catholic clergy, you deserve a legal team that understands both the trauma and the law. As clergy sexual abuse lawyers, White Law PLLC has spent years standing with Michigan residents who were harmed by priests, brothers, and deacons.
Below you will find the reported history of Father James A. Holtz, drawn from public records and investigative reporting. If you recognize his name, confidential help is available.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Gaylord
Michigan’s Catholic Church is organized into seven dioceses: Archdiocese of Detroit, Diocese of Lansing, Diocese of Saginaw, Diocese of Kalamazoo, Diocese of Grand Rapids, and Diocese of Marquette, and the Diocese of Gaylord. When the Michigan Attorney General launched a statewide investigation into clergy abuse in 2018, investigators examined files from every one of them. The public record on Father James A. Holtz comes from the Diocese of Gaylord, one of the dioceses whose files were reviewed.
Those diocesan reports named dozens of accused clergy and revealed patterns of reassignment and secrecy. Speaking with a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer is the fastest way to learn what the investigation uncovered about Father James A. Holtz, your parish, or your school.
The Allegations Against Father James A. Holtz
Where He Served
James A. Holtz was ordained for the Diocese of Gaylord in 1974, according to published diocesan records, and served as adjutant judicial vicar on the Diocesan Tribunal.
What Survivors Reported
Published records indicate that Holtz resigned from his position in August 2002 after the Diocese investigated a report that he sexually abused a minor in the early 1980s while under the influence of alcohol; he had received treatment for alcohol abuse in the mid-1980s. He was permanently removed in 2002. In 2016, Bishop Raica was reportedly told that Holtz was working as a sacristan and had been seen helping an altar boy with his belt. He was included on the Diocese’s list of credibly accused in 2018, and its updated list in April 2021 shows he had been laicized. He was included in the Michigan Attorney General’s January 8, 2024 Gaylord report.
Other reported allegations include: a 1988 accusation of abuse of a 12- or 13-year-old boy in 1983 or 1984 after plying him with alcohol, with Holtz’s victim telling Bishop Cooney in 2002 that he knew of two other boys who may have been abused, one who attempted suicide and another who died by suicide; a 2017 allegation of abuse from January 1982 to December 1986, beginning when the woman was 19; and a 2019 allegation that Holtz drugged and abused two boys in the mid-1970s. Holtz is reported to be living, so criminal options may still exist, and civil options apply regardless.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal prosecution punishes the offender; civil litigation compensates the victim. When prosecutors charge a priest like Father James A. Holtz, the goal is conviction and sentencing. When a survivor sues, the goal is accountability and the resources needed to heal.
Because the systems are separate, the outcome of one does not control the other. Survivors in Michigan often have viable civil claims connected to accused clergy such as Father James A. Holtz even where no criminal case was ever brought.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan law sets different clocks for different cases. Civil claims for clergy sexual abuse must generally be filed within ten years or before the survivor turns 28 under §600.5805, while first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges carry no statute of limitations at all, a rule that applies to reports involving Father James A. Holtz as well.
Delayed disclosure is the norm, not the exception, trauma and memory loss keep many survivors from speaking up until well into adulthood. An experienced attorney can determine whether an exception or tolling rule keeps a claim involving Father James A. Holtz alive.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
The law recognizes that abuse rarely happens in a vacuum. Survivors can seek damages from the abuser, his estate, and the diocese or order that placed him in a position of trust, particularly when those institutions knew or should have known he was dangerous, failed to prevent the harm, hid complaints, or provided poor screening and training before placing Father James A. Holtz in a position of trust.
In a matter involving Father James A. Holtz, compensation may include therapy and medical costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Call (517) 316-1195 today to speak with White Law PLLC.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.