Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 60-429 (2026)

Penitential communication privilege

✓ current as of May 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section KS-LEGkslegislature.org JustiaChapter on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

60-429. Penitential communication privilege. (a) Definitions. As used in this section, (1) the term "duly ordained minister of religion" means a person who has been ordained, in accordance with the ceremonial ritual, or discipline of a church, religious sect, or organization established on the basis of a community of faith and belief, doctrines and practices of a religious character, to preach and to teach the doctrines of such church, sect, or organization and to administer the rites and ceremonies thereof in public worship, and who as his or her regular and customary vocation preaches and teaches the principles of religion and administers the ordinances of public worship as embodied in the creed or principles of such church, sect, or organization; (2) the term "regular minister of religion" means one who as his or her customary vocation preaches and teaches the principles of religion of a church, a religious sect, or organization of which he or she is a member, without having been formally ordained as a minister of religion, and who is recognized by such church, sect, or organization as a regular minister; (3) the term "regular or duly ordained minister of religion" does not include a person who irregularly or incidentally preaches and teaches the principles of religion of a church, religious sect, or organization and does not include any person who may have been duly ordained a minister in accordance with the ceremonial, rite, or discipline of a church, religious sect or organization, but who does not regularly, as a vocation, teach and preach the principles of religion and administer the ordinances of public worship as embodied in the creed or principles of his or her church, sect, or organization; (4) "penitent" means a person who recognizes the existence and the authority of God and who seeks or receives from a regular or duly ordained minister of religion advice or assistance in determining or discharging his or her moral obligations, or in obtaining God's mercy or forgiveness for past culpable conduct; (5) "penitential communication" means any communication between a penitent and a regular or duly ordained minister of religion which the penitent intends shall be kept secret and confidential and which pertains to advice or assistance in determining or discharging the penitent's moral obligations, or to obtaining God's mercy or forgiveness for past culpable conduct.

(b) Privilege. A person, whether or not a party, has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent a witness from disclosing a communication if he or she claims the privilege and the judge finds that (1) the communication was a penitential communication and (2) the witness is the penitent or the minister, and (3) the claimant is the penitent, or the minister making the claim on behalf of an absent penitent.

History: L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-429; January 1, 1964.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases, 1983–2013 · leading case: State v. Spry, 973 P.2d 783 (Kan. 1999).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

State v. Spry, 973 P.2d 783 (Kan. 1999). · cites it 5× “In affirming the conviction of first-degree murder, we consider, but do not find persuasive, Spry's contentions that: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction; (2) the district court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of…”

Dolquist v. Heartland Presbytery, 221 F.R.D. 564 (D. Kan. 2004). · cites it 2× “Weekley’s deposition, Lea-wood Presbyterian also objected to the questions on the grounds that they violate the witness’ clergy-communicant privilege under K.S.A. 60-429 and federal common law. In its response to the Motion to Compel Discovery, Leawood Presbyterian does not…”

In Re Grand Jury Investigation. Appeal of United States of Am., 918 F.2d 374 (3rd Cir. 1990). “§ 34-1-14-5 (Burns 1989); Kan.Stat.Ann. § 60-429 (1988); Ky.Rev.Stat.”

State v. Newman, 680 P.2d 257 (Kan. 1984). “K.S.A. 60-429(c)(5) states that “penitential communication” means any communication between a penitent and a regular or duly ordained minister of religion which the penitent intends shall be kept secret and confidential and which pertains to advice or assistance in determining…”

Purdum v. Purdum, 301 P.3d 718 (Kan. Ct. App. 2013). · cites it 2× “It permits a penitent or a cleric on the penitent’s behalf to refuse to disclose protected communications made to discharge a moral obligation or to seek divine forgiveness for past conduct, K.S.A. 60-429. The evidentiary privilege extends to parties and witnesses to advance…”

State v. Nott, 669 P.2d 660 (Kan. 1983). · cites it 2× “60-428]; and penitential communication privilege [K.S.A. 60-429]), then neither trial judge nor counsel in the case may comment upon such witness' or party's exercise of such right or privilege.”

United States v. Dillard, 989 F. Supp. 2d 1155 (D. Kan. 2013). · cites it 3× “Second, he determined that Dillard could not reasonably have believed her communications with Roeder were privileged because the relevant Kansas statute, K.S.A. 60-429, provides for privilege only where the clergy is ordained.”

— K.S.A. § 60-429(b) — 1 case

State v. Spry, 973 P.2d 783 (Kan. 1999). “In affirming the conviction of first-degree murder, we consider, but do not find persuasive, Spry's contentions that: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction; (2) the district court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of…”

— K.S.A. § 60-429(c)(5) — 1 case

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.