Overview

• A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction on July 18 preventing enforcement of SB 5375’s mandatory reporting requirement for confessions in the Seattle, Yakima and Spokane dioceses.
• The DOJ labeled the statute “anti-Catholic” and argued it likely violates First Amendment free-exercise protections by singling out clergy.
• This week the Justice Department filed motions to broaden the injunction’s coverage and delay any enforcement as the case moves toward the Ninth Circuit.
• Catholic bishops and allied legal groups contend the law would force priests to violate the sacramental seal of confession and face canon-law penalties, including excommunication.
• The dispute is expected to reach the Supreme Court, where justices appointed by President Trump could play a decisive role in defining the boundary between child-protection mandates and religious liberty.