JURIST - Paper Chase: Federal court says Kansas doctors can't be forced to report underage sex

US District Judge J. Thomas Marten Monday issued a preliminary injunction blocking Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline from relying on his interpretation of a state law and ruled that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals cannot be forced to report instances of underage sex to authorities. Under Kansas law, sex involving someone under 16 is illegal, even if it involves willing same-age partners. Last year, Kline interpreted this law to require that doctors, nurses and others must report illegal underage sex to law enforcement officials or the state because underage sex inherently involves abuse of a child. Read Kline's 2003 legal opinion. AP has the full story on Monday's ruling. The Topeka Capital-Journal has background on Kline's interpretation of the Kansas law.