Latest news with #Movsesian
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
New Confession Box Law Has a Legal Problem: Lawyer
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Washington State's bill to tackle sexual abuse has another legal problem when it comes to discerning between what speech is confidential and what is not, according to contract law professor Mark Movsesian. Writing for the news outlet Reason, Movsesian said: "Washington's law expressly preserves other professional privileges, like the attorney-client privilege, but explicitly eliminates the clergy-penitent privilege. That unequal treatment presents a serious problem under current free exercise law." The law, which is set to take effect on July 2, has already come under scrutiny from leaders within the Catholic Church, who say it directly undermines their ability to keep confessions confidential and sets priests up to either be arrested for breaking the law or excommunicated from the Church for exposing secrets told to them in Confession. Professor Movsesian and the Washington State bill sponsor, State Senator Noel Frame, and Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown have been contacted via email for comment. The exterior of the Washington State Capitol building is seen Friday, April 25, 2025, in Olympia, Washington. The exterior of the Washington State Capitol building is seen Friday, April 25, 2025, in Olympia, Washington. Maddy Grassy/AP Photo Why It Matters The law has triggered a national conversation about the boundaries of church and state at a time when the Justice Department (DOJ) under the Trump Administration is making efforts to crack down on what it sees as "anti-Chrisitan bias" in the United States. What To Know The new statute—signed by Governor Bob Ferguson—mandates clergy report suspected child abuse within 48 hours, aligning them with existing reporting laws for police officers, nurses, and teachers. It has received significant pushback from Catholic leaders, however, the law's sponsor, State Senator Noel Frame, said she wrote the law in part due to secrecy practices within the Jehovah's Witness church which they likened to Catholic Confession. According to Frame, herself an assault survivor, Jehovah's Witnesses were taken to court in Washington State following an investigation into sexual abuse and claimed that their internal review process could remain private as they were covered by anonymity akin to a Catholic confession. However, Catholic leaders in the state are pushing back against this bill, saying that they are already mandatory reporters in every scenario except for confession. And, if they hear something that should be reported while in confession, they can encourage that person to speak to them in a different, safe place and to seek professional and legal help. Now, Professor Movsesian has brought up another legal question, which is how the state differentiates between confidentiality in one setting versus another. Movsesian discussed the bill with Catholic University law professor Marc DeGirolami. Professor DeGirolami said: "In this case, Washington allows secular privileges, like the attorney-client... "The fact of including clergy in the same kinds of reporting requirements as everybody else I don't think is the singling out of religion, it's simply the inclusion of religion or clergy with respect to this reporting requirement that all others or a number of other professionals are subject to. That I don't think is a targeting issue. But, here it's the privilege issue, the privilege component that I think is the tricky part, so it allows secular privileges, like the attorney-client privilege, but it denies the religious equivalent." DeGirolami went on to say: "Under the "most-favored nation" privilege of free exercise, that's a problem. That's the kind of discriminatory structure in a law that the court isn't going to look on favorably." He said it is legally questionable to allow therapists or lawyers to retain confidentiality with their clients but not clergy. And that making a distinction between which professions are allowed this privilege could create an argument for the existence of religious discrimination. Movsesian goes on to discuss another legal debate from 1813, People v Phillips, when a priest refused to testify in a case about stolen goods that were returned to him during confession. Lawyers for New York State said that religion was no excuse for defying public safety. However, the judge ruled in favor of the priest, saying that the state could not force the priest to defy "one of the central ordinances of his faith." The bill is being investigated by the Justice Department (DOJ), which says this bill conflicts with the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion in Washington State. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. Ben Curtis, File/AP Photo What People Are Saying Marc DeGirolami, speaking on Legal Spirits: "If you let lawyers withhold the evidence, or if you let psychotherapists withhold the evidence, why aren't you letting clergy in the context of a confessional withhold evidence? ... if the interest is really compelling, either you want all the evidence or you're making some kind of judgment about which relationships deserve legal protection and arguably that's where religious discrimination comes in. But it's also a suggestion that your interest really isn't as compelling as you're saying it is because if it were you'd make no exceptions to it." Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a May 5 news DOJ news release: "[The law] demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compare d to other reporting professionals. We take this matter very seriously and look forward to Washington State's cooperation with our investigation." Jean Hill, executive director of Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC), told Newsweek: "The WSCC supported the mandatory reporting legislation throughout its history in the Washington state legislature. Our only request was that the state uphold our state and federal constitutional rights to maintain the Seal of Confession, as required by Canon Law." What Happens Next The DOJ is taking Washington State to court over this law. It is unclear at this time whether it will take effect on July 27.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hilary Duff Got a Facial with 24K Gold Needles — a Skin Expert Explains What That Actually Does (Exclusive)
Hilary Duff is shining! On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the actress, 37, shared a glamorous selfie of herself after getting a 24-karat gold facial on her Instagram Stories. "I got this skin treatment called Aquagold," she wrote while showing off her glowing skin. "It's a prepared cocktail with a proprietary blend of ingredients specifically to give a flow and it is penetrated with tiny 24 carat gold needles." Duff tagged aesthetic practitioner Anush Movsesian in her post, who is the founder of the Los-Angeles-based luxury aesthetic practice Routine. PEOPLE spoke with Movsesian about the benefits of the AquaGold treatment and how it works. "AquaGold penetrates low doses of injectable ingredients directly into the skin at a controlled depth," she tells PEOPLE. "The beauty of AquaGold is that it can be customized to treat any patient's individual concerns. It is an empty, single-use sterile glass jar with 24K gold needles. The provider then creates a customized proprietary blend to treat the patient." Examples of the treatment, according to Movsesian, are hydration and tightening pores. Related: Celebrity Facial Favorites: All About the Treatments Kim Kardashian, Zoë Kravitz and More Swear By The skin expert explains that the treatment is good for all skin types and there are generally no side effects. However, she notes, patients typically experience redness for a few hours afterward. Everyone's skin is different, though, so you should always consult your own dermatologist or skin professional. Movsesian says the benefit of the 24-karat gold needles is that, when used for application, the treatment penetrates the skin at a deeper level. "The needles open up micro channels that are thinner than a strand of hair, so that the ingredients are able to go down deeper into the dermis," she explains, noting that gold "has high biocompatibility with skin, which prevents irritation." The results of the treatment, typically completed in 10 minutes, lasts for about two months. Ultimately, Movsesian recommends more than one treatment to see the best results. "With skin treatments, the more repetition, the more our skin adapts," she says. "I always recommend starting in a series of three, once every few months." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The practitioner, who has also worked with Olivia Culpo, Kehlani and Alabama Barker, charges $850 per session at her medical spa – which she believes is within the typical range in Los Angeles. Those seeking this treatment elsewhere in the U.S. may see prices a little lower, simply due to the different cost of living. Related: Brooke Shields Reveals She Finally Removed Her 'Orange' Eyebrow Tattoo After a Microblading Mishap Duff is no stranger to having needles in her face during aesthetic procedures. In April 2024, she shared an Instagram post that featured her undergoing an acupuncture treatment while she was pregnant with her fourth baby, Townes Meadow Bair, whom she welcomed the following month. "Pretty slow week around here. And gently trying to give baby the eviction notice," Duff captioned the post, which included a photo of her laying down with needles poking from her forehead, head and cheekbones. Duff is also mother to daughters Mae James, 3, and Banks Violet, 6, whom she shares with husband Matthew Koma, as well as 12-year-old son Luca Cruz with ex-husband Mike Comrie. Read the original article on People
