Opinion ID: 1779062
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 23

Heading: Privilege Log and in-camera review

Text: ś 127. We are aware that the trial judge ordered the requested documents and responses to interrogatories delivered to his chambers for an in-camera inspection. However, without finding a single document or interrogatory response protected by any privilege, the trial judge ordered the Diocese to produce all documents and interrogatory responses. We find this decision by the trial court to be an abuse of discretion. Our review of the same documents produced to the trial court revealed some which were clearly protected by the attorney/client privilege. Additionally, the documents included medical records of third persons not involved in this litigation, as well as the names and other personal information of victims of child molestation. The privileged documents should have been excluded from the required production under the trial judge's discovery order, and the names and personal information of innocent victims of child molestation should have been protected from public disclosure. ś 128. If the documents were presented to the trial court in the same manner as produced here, the Diocese is not without fault. No privilege log was included, and the privileges were asserted in such a general, sweeping manner as to border on the frivolous. It was the professional responsibility of counsel for the Diocese to carefully review the requested documents and specifically identify those documents and portions of documents for which it, in good faith, claims are privileged. The failure of the Diocese to precisely assert privilege as to particular documents resulted in a difficult task for the trial judge which, in turn, resulted in an order that all documents be produced. While one could argue that, for the most part, the Diocese has no right to complain, the same cannot be said for the innocent victims who have no voice in this litigation. ś 129. Accordingly, we direct the Diocese to produce within 30 days of the issuance of this Court's mandate all interrogatory responses and documents it does not, in good faith, claim are privileged. For documents and responses it claims are privileged, we direct the Diocese to provide to the trial court a detailed privilege log in which each such response and document, and portion of a response or document, claimed to be privileged is listed and identified by file name, document number, and privilege claimed. We further direct the trial court to review, in camera, each response and document claimed to be privileged, and for each such response and document to state whether it is protected by a privilege. For those which are protected, the trial court must state which asserted privilege or privileges protect the response or document. For those which are not protected, the trial court must provide detailed findings as to why each asserted privilege does not apply. ś 130. Additionally, the trial court is directed to take reasonable steps to protect the identity and personal information of persons identified as victims of child molestation.