Profile Facts
- Name
- Norbert Paul LaCosse
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
- Ordained
- 1952
- Status
- Convicted
- Died
- 7/21/2014
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
When a member of the clergy is accused of sexually abusing a child, survivors and their families are often left with painful questions about what happened and what can be done now. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC help Michigan survivors find answers and pursue accountability, even when the abuse happened decades ago.
This page recounts the reported case of Father Norbert Paul LaCosse, a priest of the Diocese of Marquette who pleaded guilty in the early 1990s to sexually abusing an altar boy and served more than six years in prison. The details below come from published diocesan records and the Michigan Attorney General’s report. Because his case ended in guilty pleas, the convictions are matters of public record. Survivors may still pursue separate civil claims.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Marquette
The Diocese of Marquette, covering Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is one of seven dioceses in the state, along with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Saginaw, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo. The Attorney General’s October 2022 report on the Marquette diocese included Father LaCosse among priests with documented abuse histories. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can explain how the report’s findings may strengthen a civil case.
LaCosse was pastor of American Martyrs Parish in Kingsford when he was removed from ministry in 1990. Reports describe additional victims coming forward over the following years, including his own brother, a pattern that underscores how many survivors stay silent until someone else speaks first.
The Allegations Against Father Norbert Paul LaCosse
Removal and Guilty Pleas
Published records indicate that Norbert Paul LaCosse was ordained in 1952. He was removed from public ministry in July 1990 after an allegation of child sexual abuse while pastor of American Martyrs Parish in Kingsford. LaCosse admitted the abuse to his victim, who was wired by law enforcement, and said there had been others. He pleaded guilty in the early 1990s to four counts of abusing the altar boy between 1988 and 1990; the boy was 12 at sentencing. Charges were filed in three counties but dropped in one. He was sentenced to 3 to 15 years on each count, served six and a half years in prison, and was released. He registered as a sex offender in Michigan beginning in 1995.
Additional Allegations
A lawsuit by his victim settled in 1999. In 2004, LaCosse’s brother came forward alleging abuse at age 15 in 1955. Also in 2004, a man reported an assault by LaCosse when he was 17 in 1957, describing a police officer who caught them in a car and did nothing, and a priest in confession who told him to keep quiet. Another allegation of abuse in 1962 surfaced in 2007. LaCosse died on July 21, 2014, at a Marquette nursing center. His guilty pleas are established facts; the additional reports remain accusations.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father LaCosse’s prison sentence came from a criminal prosecution, in which the state proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal convictions punish offenders, but they do not compensate survivors for therapy costs, lost years, or emotional suffering. That is what civil lawsuits are for.
Criminal Prosecution
In criminal court, prosecutors bring charges and survivors serve as witnesses. A guilty plea like LaCosse’s establishes the crime as a matter of record, but it awards nothing to the victim.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil lawsuits are filed by survivors seeking financial recovery from the abuser’s estate and from the diocese. Where church officials, police, or fellow clergy ignored or silenced reports, as alleged here, the institution’s failures can support significant civil liability.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally requires civil sexual abuse lawsuits to be filed within ten years of the abuse or before the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. Michigan imposes no time limit on first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
Many of the allegations against Father LaCosse date to the 1950s through the 1980s, and survivors came forward across five decades. Shame, fear, and being told by authority figures to stay quiet kept victims silent. An attorney can assess whether the facts of your case allow a civil claim to proceed despite the passage of time.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Through a civil claim, survivors may recover damages for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Claims may be brought against the abuser’s estate and against the diocese or institution where leaders knew or should have known of the abuse, failed to prevent it, covered it up, or failed to properly screen, train, and supervise clergy.
If Father LaCosse abused you or a loved one, White Law PLLC can discuss your options in a confidential consultation. Call (517) 316-1195.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.