Court Opinion

ID: 9495902
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 16:13:07.605132+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:57:15.696886
License: Public Domain

*675BYE, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I agree with the majority opinion except for its conclusion that the cooperating co-conspirators necessarily waived the protections afforded by the attorney/client privilege simply because conversations with their attorneys were tape recorded.
We have previously held that inmates impliedly consent to having their telephone conversations taped when they know a policy of recording all inmate telephone calls exists. See United States v. Eggleston, 165 F.3d 624, 626 (8th Cir.1999); United States v. Horr, 963 F.2d 1124, 1126 (8th Cir.1992). These same cases, however, recognize that such policies specifically exempt telephone calls made to attorneys. Eggleston, 165 F.3d at 626 (referencing a county jail policy excepting calls made to inmates’ attorneys from the jail’s monitoring policy); Horr, 963 F.2d at 1125 (referencing the Bureau of Prison’s policy of recording all inmate telephone calls, except those between inmates and their attorneys). Because the record in this case does not show whether a similar policy existed or whether the co-conspirators knew of its existence, we have insufficient information to conclude the privilege was waived.
I recognize the attorney/client telephone calls at issue may have been placed without following the procedures necessary to protect their confidentiality. If so, the co-conspirators may well have waived any protections afforded by the privilege. There is, however, insufficient information in this record to satisfy me such was the case. Therefore, I cannot agree with the majority’s conclusion that the privilege was waived simply because the conversations were taped.
Despite these concerns with the majority holding, I agree the district court should have allowed the defendants access to the tapes because the government lacks standing to lay claim to the co-conspirators’ attorney/client privilege. The attorney/client privilege is personal in nature and cannot be asserted vicariously. See United States v. Fortna, 796 F.2d 724, 732 (5th Cir.1986); cf. United States v. Ortega, 150 F.3d 937, 942 (8th Cir.1998) (indicating the government lacks standing to assert a co-operating defendant’s attorney/client privilege); United States v. Escobar, 50 F.3d 1414, 1422 (8th Cir.1995) (holding a defendant’s Miranda rights are personal and a co-defendant lacks standing to assert an alleged violation as a defense) (citing Fortna, 796 F.2d at 732). Because the government failed to establish any basis for asserting the co-conspirators’ attorney/client privilege, the district court should have ordered disclosure of the taped conversations. See Bouschor v. United States, 316 F.2d 451, 456 (8th Cir.1963) (holding that the party asserting the attorney/client privilege bears the burden of establishing it).
I am pleased to note the majority’s remand suggests the district court may wish to consider additional briefing on the issue of the government’s standing. I believe this matter should be resolved on that basis, and I encourage the district court to explore the issue more fully. Therefore, as to Part D of the majority’s opinion, I concur only in the judgment.