Showing posts with label Clergy-Penitent Privilege. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clergy-Penitent Privilege. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Whose Rule Governs Clergy-Communicant Privilege When the Communication Was Made in Another State?

›
In Campbell v. State of Texas ,  (TX Ct. Cr. App., Sept. 17, 2026), the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (the state's highest court for c...
Thursday, September 17, 2026

Britain's New Law Requiring Reporting of Child Sex Abuse Will Apply to Clergy

›
The United Kingdom's Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on April 29, 2026. Section 85 of the Act  requires persons engag...
Friday, August 14, 2026

Arizona Supreme Court Defines Elements of Clergy-Penitent Privilege

›
In  Rodriguez-Ramirez v. State of Arizona , (AZ Sup. Ct., Aug. 12, 2026), the Arizona Supreme Court held that a conversation which the pasto...
Friday, July 31, 2026

Arizona Supreme Court Interprets Clergy Exemption from Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse

›
 In Jane Doe I v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints ,  (AZ Sup. Ct., July 29, 2026), the Arizo...
Friday, August 01, 2025

Fact Questions Remain as to Whether Sex Abuser's Confession Was Privileged

›
In Doe v. Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ,  (AZ App., July 29, 2025), an Arizona state appe...
Monday, July 21, 2025

Court Enjoins Newly Mandated Child Abuse Reporting By Priests

›
In Etienne v. Ferguson ,  (WD WA, July 18, 2025), a Washington federal district court issued a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of...
Wednesday, June 25, 2025

DOJ Intervenes In Challenge To Washington Law Removing Clergy Privilege

›
The Department of Justice on Monday filed a Complaint in Intervention ( full text ) in Etienne v. Ferguson,  (WD WA, filed 6/23/ 2025) to be...
Thursday, June 05, 2025

Washington Bishops Sue Challenging Expanded Child Abuse Reporting Law

›
Last week, the Catholic bishops in Washington state filed suit challenging the constitutionality of a  recently adopted amendment to the sta...
Monday, May 05, 2025

Washington State Makes Clergy Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse With No Exceptions for Privileged Information

›
On May 2, Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson signed  Senate Bill 5375 ( full text ) which amends previous law to now require clergy to r...
Thursday, May 02, 2024

Court Dismisses Suit Over Disclosure of Clergy-Penitent Conversation

›
In Stephens v. Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ,  (Dutchess Cty. NY Sup. Ct., April 29, 2024), a N...
Thursday, April 04, 2024

Uganda Constitutional Court Upholds Most of Anti-Homosexuality Act; Mandatory Reporting of Homosexuality Invalidated

›
In Odoi-Oywelowo v. Attorney General , (Const. Ct. Uganda, April 3, 2024), Uganda's Constitutional Court in a unanimous 203-page opinion...
Thursday, February 01, 2024

Recorded Statements Made to Church Leaders and Pastor Not Privileged

›
In State of Florida v. Gonzalez , (FL App., Jan. 31, 2024), a Florida state appellate court held that a video recording of a meeting between...
Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Court Defines Clergy-Penitent Privilege Under Montana Law

›
Caekaert v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York ,  (D MT, May 22, 2023), involved a motion by plaintiff to compel production of d...
Friday, January 10, 2020

Wife of Sex Offender Sues Church For Reporting Confessed Abuse

›
The Salem (OR) Statesman Journal reports on a suit filed recently in an Oregon state trial court by the wife of convicted sex offender Tim...

Jehovah's Witness Practices Are Within Confidentiality Exception To Mandatory Abuse Reporting

›
In Nunez v. Watchtower Bible and  Tract Society of New York, Inc. ,  (MT Sup. Ct., Jan. 8, 2020), the Montana Supreme Court reversed a jury ...
Wednesday, July 03, 2019

Vatican Reiterates Inviolability of Confessional

›
On Monday, the Vatican, with the approval of Pope Francis, released the  Note of the Apostolic Penitentiary on the Importance of the Interna...
Saturday, June 16, 2018

Florida Appeals Court Upholds Priest's Objections To Testifying About Statements Made In Confessional

›
In Ronchi v. State of Florida ,  (FL App., June 15, 2018), a Florida state appellate court held that it would violate Florida's Religiou...
Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Australian Commission Recommends That Child Sex Abuse Learned In Confession Must Be Reported To Authorities

›
Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse yesterday issued a  release  (which includes links to fu...
Thursday, March 02, 2017

Suit Over Priest's Breach of Confessional Secrecy Is Dismissed

›
In Sonnier v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette , 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26498 (WD LA, Feb. 23, 2017), a Louisiana federal district court ...
Saturday, October 29, 2016

Louisiana Supreme Court Says No Mandatory Reporting of Abuse Discovered In Confessional

›
In Mayeux v. Charlet ,  (LA Sup. Ct., Oct. 28, 2016), the Louisiana Supreme Court held that under Louisiana statutes Catholic priests when a...