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It was a rather unusual request from Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice R.A. Jerke, and perhaps we’ll see now how serious he was about it.

In sentencing David and Collet Stephan on charges of failing to provide the necessaries of life, Jerke mandated that the ruling itself be posted on the Facebook page Prayers for Ezekiel. As of this writing, that has not occurred, although others have attempted to post a link to the ruling in the comments.

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The ruling is quite damning, and perhaps it’s not surprising that the Stephans and their followers aren’t eager to share it with the world. But despite the lenient sentences, Jerke is to be commended for taking this unconventional approach to ensuring that this ruling has a broader impact.

Given how much attention this case has garnered, and given the martyrdom many have tried to bestow upon the Stephans, it is crucial that the public understand the facts of this case. It is also of the utmost importance that parents be disabused of the notion that they must rush their children to the hospital at the first sign of illness, lest the state bring down criminal charges.