Opinion ID: 396196
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Earl Wilt's Attorney-Client Privilege

Text: 29 Appellants also assert that their right of confrontation was denied when Earl Wilt was permitted to invoke the attorney-client privilege when questioned about conversations he had with his lawyers concerning his cooperation agreement with the government. Appellants claim that these questions were relevant to Wilt's state of mind or motivation when signing the agreement and, therefore, to his bias. 30 It is clear that government witnesses have a right to assert the attorney-client privilege on cross-examination. E. g., United States v. Sindona, 636 F.2d 792, 804-05 (2d Cir. 1980), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 1984, 68 L.Ed.2d 302 (1981). However, where assertion of the privilege unduly restricts a defendant's cross-examination, the witness' direct testimony may have to be stricken. See Dunbar v. Harris, 612 F.2d 690 (2d Cir. 1979) (cross-examination limited by witness' assertion of privilege against self-incrimination); United States v. Cardillo, 316 F.2d 606 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 375 U.S. 882, 84 S.Ct. 60, 11 L.Ed.2d 55 (1963) (cross-examination limited by witness' assertion of privilege against self-incrimination). In this case, however, Wilt's state of mind when signing the cooperation agreement was a collateral matter going only to Wilt's general credibility. Therefore Wilt's assertion of the attorney-client privilege did not deprive appellants of their constitutional right to confrontation. See Dunbar v. Harris, 612 F.2d at 692-93; United States v. Cardillo, 316 F.2d at 611. Moreover, appellants conducted an extensive cross-examination of Wilt which included direct questions about his state of mind when signing the agreement. Wilt's possible bias was readily ascertainable by the jury. Therefore, even if the trial court's ruling were erroneous, the error would have been harmless.