Opinion ID: 1272414
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Attorney-Client Privilege (Sixth Amendment)

Text: The habeas court concluded that, insofar as the production order reached material in the hands of the defense psychologists, it violated the attorney-client privilege. As we earlier pointed out, courts have concluded that where an attorney retains an expert to assist in the defense of the case and requests the client to communicate information to that expert, the attorney-client privilege generally embraces such communications. [26] The habeas court seemed to be of the view that because an attorney-client privilege attached to the material delivered to the defense psychologist, the Sixth Amendment right to effective counsel was implicated. Several courts have implied that the attorney-client privilege has some connection to the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. E.g., DeMassa v. Nunez, 770 F.2d 1505 (9th Cir.1985); United States v. Alvarez, 519 F.2d 1036 (3d Cir.1975); State v. Pratt, 284 Md. 516, 398 A.2d 421 (1979). We decline to pursue this point as it seems somewhat obscure. [27] The privilege originated at common law, and has as its principal object the promotion of full and frank discourse between attorney and client so as to insure sound legal advice or advocacy. Upjohn Co. v. United States, 449 U.S. 383, 101 S.Ct. 677, 66 L.Ed.2d 584 (1981); Trammel v. United States, 445 U.S. 40, 100 S.Ct. 906, 63 L.Ed.2d 186 (1980); State v. Burton, 163 W.Va. 40, 254 S.E.2d 129 (1979); 8 J. Wigmore, Evidence § 2290 (McNaughton rev. 1961). As earlier stated in our Fourth Amendment discussion, we believe that the attorney-client privilege extended to the communications between the defendant and his psychologists. [28] However, it is well-settled that the privilege may be waived if disclosure of privileged communications is made to third parties. We recognized this principle in State v. Burton, supra , where statements by the defendant and his attorney were made in front of third parties who later testified about them. We concluded that to be subject to the privilege, the communication between the attorney and client must be intended to be confidential. Syllabus Point 2, in part. [29] Faithful to this rule, courts have recognized that voluntary testimony by a psychologist with regard to the privileged communications waives the privilege. It also appears that voluntary testimony as to any part of a privileged communication operates as a waiver as to all. E.g., United States v. Alvarez, supra ; State v. Kociolek, 129 A.2d 417, 23 N.J. 400 (1957); see generally, 8 J. Wigmore, Evidence § 2327 (McNaughton rev. 1961). We thus conclude that the testimony by the defense psychologists in this case waived whatever attorney-client privilege might have attached to the communications. [30]