The Attorney-Client Privilege
The attorney-client privilege allows people to disclose sensitive matters with their attorney without fear of the information being used against them. As it is imperative that clients be truthful and forthright with their lawyer, the attorney-client privilege is a necessary tradition in the legal world. Lawyers can be punished for violating their client’s trust and lawyers cannot be compelled to release privileged information. Given the sanctity of this privilege, it is easy to see why legal practitioners are up in arms about recent allegations being made against the Muskogee County District Attorney’s office, run by elected District Attorney, Larry Moore.
Did Muskogee County District Attorney’s Office Eavesdrop on Privileged Communications?
MuskogeeNOW is reporting that the Muskogee County District Attorney’s office is being accused of spying on defendants conferencing with their attorneys. Apparently each court room at the Muskogee County District Court is wired with microphones and video cameras that feed into a central computer system. The allegation is that the DA’s investigator plugged into the Court’s computer system and monitored confidential attorney-client conferences between the defendants that the DA is prosecuting and the defendants’ lawyers.
If true, this would amount to prosecutorial misconduct that could affect the disposition of the criminal prosecutions involved. It appears that the Muskogee judges are taking the matter seriously and have scheduled a meeting with local officials, the district attorney’s office and the defense bar, to discuss the matter.
If you believe that your privileged communication may have been illegally surveilled, contact the Tulsa Attorney at the Wirth Law Office at (918) 879-1681.