Federal court blocks Washington state confession law

A district court in Washington state on Friday sided with Roman Catholic bishops who argued that a new state law burdened their free exercise of religion, according to the legal nonprofit Beckett. Under the law, priests would be required to notify law enforcement of any information they receive about child abuse or neglect. The legislation was due to take effect later this month and explicitly removed a religious exemption for information obtained during the sacrament of confession. Other confidential communications in secular settings, such as therapy appointments, remained protected. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge David Estudillo said the law was not neutral and favored secular activity over religious activity. The state could have made clergy mandatory reporters while at the same time including a narrow exception for confession, he said. At least 28 other states designate clergy as mandated reporters.

What consequences could clergy have faced? Those who failed to follow the law could have faced up to 364 days in jail and a fine up to $5,000. Confession is a holy sacrament in the Catholic faith, and any priest who breaks the seal of confidentiality may be excommunicated. A group of priests in May sued the state over the law and federal prosecutors last month filed an intervening lawsuit against the new requirement. Estudillo’s ruling stops the law from taking effect.

Dig deeper: Listen to Juliana Chan Erikson’s report about the law and how it sparked concerns about religious freedom.