Wednesday, April 12, 2023

CLARIFICATIONS On Court Ruling Re: Suit Against LDS Church For Not Reporting Sexual Abuse Confession (READ Decision)

A very good article from the Associated Press about the Arizona Supreme Court's decision to not review a lower court decision about a Cochise County lawsuit against the LDS Church. Plaintiffs tried to conduct discovery about a former church member's confession that he had sexually abused his daughters. The Church asserted the "clergyman-penitent privilege" as the reason it did not report either the confession or their disciplinary proceeding to law enforcement.

CLARIFICATIONS: 

1) The AZ Supreme Court declined to review the Court of Appeals ruling. (Cochise Cty Superior Ct Judge Laura Cardinal had found the privilege waived. Appellate court disagreed).

2) Motions for Reconsideration of the Supreme Court's decision are not permitted. It is unclear how the case will proceed without discovery of the confession or the proceedings to excommunicate Adams (who later committed suicide).

Ct/App's Decision: 

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