Spokane and Seattle bishops ask federal judge to block new mandatory reporting law

Spokane and Seattle bishops ask federal judge to block new mandatory reporting law

Lawyers representing the Catholic bishops of Washington have asked a federal judge to block the state’s recently passed mandatory reporting law from taking effect later this month, alleging in a lawsuit that the state “is targeting the Roman Catholic Church in a brazen act of religious discrimination.”

Catholic bishops ask court to halt law requiring priests to report abuse

News Brief by Cassy Benefield | FāVS News The Catholic bishops of Washington state and several priests were in federal court Monday (July 14) asking the court for a preliminary injunction to temporarily block a clergy mandatory-reporting law that will go into effect on July 27.  The injunction would allow the court case Etienne v. Ferguson go to full trial, while keeping confessional privileges at status quo if a decision to their case is not ma…