Judge rejects effort by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson to get records from Catholic church

A Washington state judge said Friday that Attorney General Bob Ferguson is not entitled to enforce a subpoena seeking decades of records from the Seattle Archdiocese. Ferguson said his office needs the records to learn whether the Catholic church used charitable trust funds to cover up sexual abuse by priests. King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott sided with the archdiocese, which argued that under the state’s law governing charitable trusts, Ferguson did not have authority to enforce the subpoena. The law contains an exemption designed to ensure the state does not meddle in religious practices. Ferguson said he would appeal.