{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-14-309","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 14-309","heading":"Clergy.","body":"A priest, clergyman, rabbi, or other duly licensed, ordained, or consecrated minister of a religion authorized to perform a marriage ceremony in the District of Columbia or duly accredited practitioner of Christian Science may not be examined in any civil or criminal proceedings in the Federal courts in the District of Columbia and District of Columbia courts with respect to any —\n\n(1)\nconfession, or communication, made to him, in his professional capacity in the course of discipline enjoined by the church or other religious body to which he belongs, without the consent of the person making the confession or communication; or\n\n(2)\ncommunication made to him, in his professional capacity in the course of giving religious or spiritual advice, without the consent of the person seeking the advice; or\n\n(3)\n(A)\ncommunication made to him, in his professional capacity, by either spouse or domestic partner, in connection with an effort to reconcile estranged spouses or domestic partners, without the consent of the spouse or domestic partner making the communication.\n(B)\nfor the purposes of this paragraph, the term “domestic partner” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3).","path":["Title 14. Proof. [Enacted title]","Chapter 3. Competency of Witnesses."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/14-309","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"ebf28dd99ba68769bf1da8f7490a25681e0131a84791dbca01522aa9cb1aca70","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-14-308","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-14-310"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}