Court Opinion

ID: 9851857
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:20:39.769411+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:17.708123
License: Public Domain

Evans, Judge,
dissenting. In this case discovery was granted by the trial court as to a written statement given by a witness to both the opposite party and his attorney. The court’s order makes it clear that good cause was shown for the production, by stating therein that it appeared the witness’ recollection was not clear as to some of the portions of the written statement, which, incidentally, dealt with the way and manner in which the automobile wreck occurred. The burden is always on the party appealing to show reversible error. Allen v. Smith, 223 Ga. 265, 266 (154 SE2d 605). Further, it will be presumed that a judgment rendered in a court of general jurisdiction is supported by every fact essential to make it valid and binding. Chance v. Chance, 60 Ga. App. 889, 892 (5 SE2d 399); Stamps Tire Co. v. Hartford Acc. &c. Co., 115 Ga. App. 326 (3) (154 SE2d 656); Atlantic C. L. R. Co. v. Gause, 116 Ga. App. 216, 225 (156 SE2d 476); Richards v. Richards, 203 Ga. 436 (4) (46 SE2d 900).
In this case I believe the written statement was discoverable. First of all, the discovery was sought of the party, and not of the attorney. The attorney had a perfect right to urge — if discovery had been sought of him — that he could not be compelled to discover his work product, and of course he would then have had the burden of showing that the paper in question was indeed the attorney’s work product. But no such privilege of immunity extends to the party, and in this case the record clearly shows that the party, as well as his attorney, took the paper in question. It has been properly held that a party can not take his evidence and *859prevent discovery of same by placing it in the hands of his attorney. Atlantic C. L. R. Co. v. Daugherty, 111 Ga. App. 144, 150, supra. Thus, in this case, the party should have been required to discover the paper, irrespective of what position the attorney could have taken against a paper which was the result of his work product.
In the next place, the trial court determined that good cause existed for requiring production of the paper. It must be presumed that the trial judge had every fact before him which was essential to make his judgment valid and binding Atlantic C. L. R. Co. v. Gause, 116 Ga. App. 216, 225, supra; Stamps Tire Co. v. Hartford Acc. &c. Co., 115 Ga. App. 326 (3), supra.
I therefore dissent.