The Mercury News Weekend

It’s all in the details in Arizona

- — Chuck Shepherd

The Arizona legislatur­e passed a child-molestatio­n law that made any adult contact with children’s genitals a criminal act, but neglected to include a requiremen­t that the outlawed contact be for “sexual” purposes. Consequent­ly, parents may be criminally liable for bathing a baby or changing its diaper. Lawmakers professed indifferen­ce, confident that district attorneys will use good judgment about whom to prosecute.

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