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Read MoreMonth: August 2026
AR: Arkansas law creates penalties for librarians distributing content deemed ‘harmful’ to minors
Source: arkansasadvocate.com 7/30/26 A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Arkansas’ 2023 law restricting access to library materials can go into effect, three years after a judge blocked two sections of the law on First Amendment grounds. The three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled that the 18 plaintiffs had no standing to challenge one section of Act 372 and failed to prove that the other section was unconstitutionally vague. The two sections create criminal liability for librarians who distribute content that some consider “obscene” or “harmful to minors,”…
Read MoreAZ: High court says churches, not judges, define a ‘confession’ when it comes to reporting child abuse
Source: azmirror.com 7/30/26 Advocates warn the broad ruling lets predators use a ‘confessional loophole’ to escape justice The Arizona Supreme Court sided with religious leaders this week who argued the state’s clergy-penitent privilege law shielded them from reporting child sexual abuse to authorities. And in declaring that any intervention by the courts would violate the First Amendment, the justices made clear they don’t think any changes to Arizona law aimed at forcing clergy to report abuse would be constitutional. “We hold that the First Amendment generally prohibits factfinders from…
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