Title: ELLIS v. GURICH

State: oklahoma

Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court

Document:

ELLIS v. GURICH  ELLIS v. GURICH 2003 OK 47 73 P.3d 860 Case Number: 99032 Decided: 05/06/2003 Modified: 05/07/2003 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA DAVID ELLIS, M.D. and JANE ELLIS, individually and as surviving parents and next friend of DANIEL ELLIS, deceased, Petitioners, v. THE HONORABLE NOMA D. GURICH, JUDGE OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY, SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT, et al., Respondents. ORDER ¶1 Original jurisdiction is assumed. Art. 7 § 4, Okla.Const. The Court finds, after hearing, that (1) the underlying wrongful death action, which is founded on allegations of medical malpractice, was brought by the petitioners pursuant to (2) (3) (4) ¶2 The Court concludes and holds that (1) the filing of a wrongful death action is not ipso facto a waiver of the psychotherapist-patient privilege held by a plaintiff pursuant to (2) (3) (4) ¶3 Let the writ issue, prohibiting the respondent-judge, or any other assigned judge, in the underlying action, cause No. CJ-2002-3271, on the docket of the District Court, Oklahoma County, from enforcing the order, filed on March 25, 2003, to the extent that it "relates to discovery of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and/or counselors" and to the discovery of the mental health care history, if any, of petitioners. Brown v. Blevins, ¶4 DONE BY THE ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT IN CONFERENCE THIS 5TH DAY OF MAY, 2003. /S/CHIEF JUSTICE