Court Opinion

ID: 9746621
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 14:30:11.209495+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:15.475036
License: Public Domain

HESTER, Judge,
dissenting:
This bizarre case is presently before the court on appeal by Ronald Bluestein, attorney, from the issuance of a temporary restraining order and special injunction dated September 25, 1978 and continued in full force and effect by order dated September 28, 1978, subsequently reissued on October 6, 1978 and again continued in full force and effect by agreement of the parties and their counsel by order dated October 11, 1978.
The grant of appellee’s request for injunctive relief which is the subject matter of the instant appeal accompanied the filing of a complaint in equity wherein the appellee has sought primarily:
*83(a) to enjoin appellant-attorney, his agents, servants or employees, in any manner whatsoever whether directly or indirectly; the fact that the instant proceeding has been brought or that the instant proceedings are pending; and
(b) to order appellant-attorney to reveal to appellee any and all information which he may have concerning the present whereabouts of Alper and/or the children and the whereabouts of Alper and/or the children for the past year.
Obviously the theory underpinning the instant action is that upon learning of the bringing of this action, Alper would likely again flee with the children and attempt to further conceal their whereabouts.
The factual posture of this case was capsulized by the lower court in its opinion and must be restated here: The facts set forth in the complaint depict a harrowing and tragic tale of a broken marriage terminated by a decree of dissolution on December 30, 1976 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Custody of the two children born of the marriage, ages 11 and 9, was given to mother-appellee with visitation rights to the father, Anatole Alper. On July 15, 1977, the father secured possession of the children for visitation of six weeks. During the early part of that period, he moved leaving no forwarding address. Since that time, the appellee has been unable to learn the whereabouts of the father or children and she has thus been deprived of any contact of any kind whatsoever with her children since July, 1977.
In August, 1977, appellee became aware that appellant-attorney here represented her former husband by means of a letter sent to a banker, bearing on the imprinted letterhead her husband’s name and the appellant’s office address and telephone number. Numerous other letters bearing the same imprint were sent to other persons in the community. Appellant-attorney, himself, sent support payments to appellee’s former counsel.
The complaint further alleged that appellant has represented that he is a repository for mail for Anatole Alper and that he, appellant, talked to Alper on a monthly basis.
*84On August 26, 1977, appellee’s former husband was indicted by the Grand Jury of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, upon two counts of child stealing and on November 28, 1977, the Superior Court of Tippecanoe County issued certain findings and orders in which the court found, inter alia, that Anatole Alper had concealed his whereabouts since August 12, 1977; that he had violated the custody and visitation orders of the court; that he was in contempt of court and that he had fled the jurisdiction to prevent enforcement of the custody-visitation orders.
The court ordered a fine and punitive damages of $100 per day and imprisonment, until Alper purges himself of contempt by returning the children to appellee. A warrant for Alper’s arrest was issued.
The complaint further alleges that appellant has knowledge of the present whereabouts of Alper and accuses appellant of knowingly counseling Alper in the commission of a felony, to-wit, child stealing, and that he continues to aid and abet Alper in the commission of a crime and in violation of the court orders of Indiana.
Appellant raises four issues on appeal, to-wit: (1) the lower court’s jurisdiction to hear this matter; (2) that the injunction was improperly issued without bond; (3) the applicability of the attorney-client privilege; and (4) a defect in the affidavit accompanying the Complaint in Equity-
Our learned colleagues in their majority opinion appear to conclude that the lower court has jurisdiction to entertain the instant action pursuant to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (supra), as well as pursuant to its general equity powers. However, the majority opinion reversing the Order of the lower court and dissolving said Preliminary Injunction concluded that a Preliminary Injunction should not have issued because of a purportedly improperly verified Complaint.
I disagree and therefore respectfully dissent.
*85I am convinced that the lower court properly exercised its equitable powers in issuing said Order and Preliminary Objection notwithstanding the absence of testimony and/or supportive evidence. The majority opinion accurately demonstrates that a Preliminary Injunction may issue solely upon the averments contained in a complaint. I believe that the operative facts in the instant case which caused-no, compelled-the lower court to issue its Order and Preliminary Injunction, were of such significance that it was convinced beyond doubt that its actions were absolutely essential if Appellee was to be afforded even the remotest of possibilities of locating her children. I believe the Complaint in Equity verified by Appellee’s attorney in accordance with Appellee’s personal affidavit of authorization dated July 28, 1978, satisfies the requirements of Pa.R.C.P. 1024(c). I feel that if scrutinized closely the affidavit of authorization certainly satisfies the verification requirements of Pa.R.C.P. 1024(c).
I find that Appellant’s third issue on appeal that the September 25, 1978 injunction was improperly issued, since no bond was filed, is without merit. Three days later, the lower court continued said injunction with bond. Whatever defect therefore existed in the first instance was cured on September 28 when bond was posted. I am not convinced by Appellant’s argument that without a bond, the Preliminary Injunction issued September 25, 1978 was a nullity which could not have life breathed into it by the posting of a bond three days later.
Finally, appellant also contends that the attorney-client privilege is applicable. (The majority did not address itself to this issue). The Act of 1887, P.L. 158 § 5(d), 28 P.S. § 321. We conclude that it is not. The privilege does not apply to representations or communications secured in furtherance of intended, present, or continuing illegality, even if the attorney is completely unaware that his advice is being sought towards that end. In re Westinghouse Electric Corp. Uranium Contracts Litigation, 76 F.R.D. 47 (USDC W.D.Pa.1977).
*86Although our research reveals no Pennsylvania case which is factually similar to this case wherein the attorney-client privilege was raised, a New York court in, In Re Jacqueline F., 94 Misc.2d 96, 404 N.Y.S.2d 790, noted the general rule as follows:
“As a general rule, an attorney may be compelled to disclose the name and address of his client on the theory that his knowledge as to these matters did not flow from a confidential communication.” 404 N.Y.S.2d at 794.
As to the applicability of the privilege, the court went on to state:
“An attorney may validly assert the privilege as to his client’s name or address in the limited instance where the client intended such information to be confidential and further provided that protecting this cloak of secrecy will not aid in carrying out an unlawful purpose.” 404 N.Y. S.2d at 795 (Emphasis added).
However, the court noted strong disapproval of a disappointed custody litigant’s placing his desire to obtain custody above the law and held:
“However, an attorney’s duty to his client is limited to rendering such legal assistance and advice as is the bounds of the law. It cannot extend to aiding and abetting the client to evade the impact of the court either by acts of commission or omission.” 404 N.Y.S.2d at 795. (Emphasis added).
In the instant case, we conclude appellant’s failure to disclose Alper’s whereabouts is not within the ambit of his lawful representation of Alper and therefore same is not protected by the attorney-client privilege.
As the lower court opined:
We . . . believe it is now time, and that this is the proper case, in which all of the well prepared and capably argued objections interposed by (appellant) should be swept aside so that this court can address itself to the overriding human question of the best interests of the children, and in doing so make clear to all who will listen that the courts of this Commonwealth will not assist those who take the *87law into their own hands in matters of child custody and that we will do all that is possible to bring matters such as these back into the proper court where the personal interest of the absconding parent will rightfully be relegated to a lesser position than that accorded the welfare and best interests of the children.
We believe that it is in keeping with the modern trend of law as evidenced by broad acceptance of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act aimed directly at this kind of heinous behavior on the part of parents dissatisfied with the decisions reached by the courts of our land. (P. 33).
I agree.
I therefore respectfully dissent and would affirm the issuance of the Preliminary Injunction and remand to the lower court with instructions that it proceed forthwith with a trial on its merits.