In re Grand Jury Subpoena Issued to Burns

536 N.E.2d 1206, 42 Ohio Misc. 2d 12, 1988 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 12
CourtCourt of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County
DecidedJuly 19, 1988
DocketNo. M-88-00220
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 536 N.E.2d 1206 (In re Grand Jury Subpoena Issued to Burns) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Grand Jury Subpoena Issued to Burns, 536 N.E.2d 1206, 42 Ohio Misc. 2d 12, 1988 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 12 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1988).

Opinion

Thomas H. Crush, J.

R.C. 2939.14 provides in pertinent part as follows:

“If a witness before a grand jury refuses to answer an interrogatory, the court of common pleas * * * shall determine whether the witness is required to answer * * *.”

The grand jury witness in this matter is Robert W. Burns, an attorney at law licensed to practice in the state of Ohio. Burns appeared before the Hamilton County Grand Jury, was asked the following questions, and gave the following answers:

“On May 26,1988, did you make a telephone call to the Springdale Police Department?
“Yes.
“What did you ask?
“I was inquiring whether or not an incident was reported on or about May 25,1988, in the early morning hours involving a woman.
“What is the name of the person on whose behalf you made that telephone call?
“I must refuse to answer the question because I was acting on behalf of a client * * * and my client * * * is asserting the attorney-client privilege. * *

Underlying all of this were two events that occurred in or near Spring-dale, Ohio, on May 25, 1988. At 2:05 a.m. on that date a male subject exposed himself to a female after the male attempted unsuccessfully to force his way into the female’s car. At 2:30 a.m., the same day, apparently the same male got into another female’s car upon the pretext of being injured and needing to go to a hospital. The male began to choke the female and had sexual contact with her. The female managed to escape.

The attorney-client privilege is stated as follows in R.C. 2317.02:

“The following persons shall not testify in certain respects:
“(A) An attorney, concerning a communication made to him by his client in that relation or his advice to his client * * *[.]”

In an affidavit filed herein, Robert W. Burns stated as follows:

“1. I am a duly licensed attorney at law in the state of Ohio.
“2. On or about May 26, 1988, I was retained by an individual for legal representation.
“3. The subject of the legal representation in question directly related to the inquiry I made to the Springdale Police Department concerning an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of May 25, 1988.
“4. If I am ordered to disclose the identity of my client such disclosure would result in the prosecution of my client.”

There is, therefore, no question that an attorney-client relationship exists between Burns and the individual whose name he refuses to give to the grand jury.

The issue in this matter is whether the attorney-client privilege extends to the client’s name. This issue is addressed in the following cases:

“In most instances, the client’s name or identity ‘is not one of the facts about which the client seeks legal [14]*14assistance; the legal advice will in no way depend on whether the client’s name is Jones or Smith.’ Saltzburg, Communication Falling Within the Attorney-Client Privilege (1981), 66 Iowa L. Rev. 811, 821. If a case falls plainly within the reason and spirit of R.C. 2317.02(A), its principles shall apply even though a client’s name and address may not, in most circumstances, be within the strictures of R.C. 2317.02(A). Waldmann, * * * [infra,] at 177.
“Waldmann was a domestic relations case where the confidentiality of the client’s address was necessary to protect the client’s safety. See Brennan v. Brennan (1980), 281 Pa. Super. 362, 422 A. 2d 510. Our use of limiting language regarding the applicability of the attorney-client privilege to a client’s name and address in Wald-mann implicitly, if not explicitly, illustrates our belief that ‘[i]n the determination [of] whether a communication by a client to an attorney should be afforded the cloak of privilege, “ ‘much ought to depend on the circumstances of each case.’ ” [Citations omitted.]’ In re Jacqueline F. (1979), 47 N.Y. 2d 215, 222, 417 N.Y. Supp. 2d 884, 888, 391 N.E. 2d 967, 971. It has been held that the attorney-client privilege only exists to aid in the administration of justice. Brennan, supra, at 372. Necessarily, then, it may not be said that our holding in Waldmann affords the cloak of privilege to a client’s name and address in all cases under all circumstances. * * *
i(* * *
“ ‘* * * djsciosure 0f the client’s identity is required where, as at bar, injury would result to the proper administration of justice “immeasurably greater than the benefit that would enure to the relation of attorney and client.” * * * The seal of secrecy between attorney and client is to be preserved “in the aid of a public purpose to expose wrongdoing and not * * * to conceal wrongdoing.” * * * “[T]he veil [of privilege is removed] from the client’s name when the attorney’s assertion of a privilege is a cover for cooperation in wrongdoing.” [Citations omitted.]’
“We, therefore, conclude that when the peculiar factual environment and the egregious circumstances of the instant case are properly considered in light of our holding regarding the attorney-client privilege in Waldmann, supra, the names and addresses of appellants’ alleged clients are not entitled to the cloak of protection afforded by the attorney-client privilege.” (Footnotes omitted.) Lemley v. Kaiser (1983), 6 Ohio St. 3d 258, 264-266, 6 OBR 324, 330-332, 452 N.E. 2d 1304, 1310-1312.
“On October 24, 1975, a praecipe had been filed to subpoena appellant’s appearance as a witness at a hearing on November 4,1975. At that hearing, appellant, appearing under subpoena as a witness, refused to reveal the address of his client, Edna M. Wald-mann. As a result, he was adjudged to be in contempt of court and was sentenced to pay a fine of $500 and serve ten days in jail. * * *
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“The confidentiality of a client’s address in a domestic relations matter, especially a divorce action, can be a vital feature of the action; it is not uncommon for a spouse who fears for her or his safety to need assurance that their [sic] whereabouts will not be disclosed. If a client feels that confidentially divulged matters will not be protected, facts may be withheld which are necessary to competent representation. When the attorney-client privilege exists, the privilege has been held to encompass the protection of the address of the client. In re Heile (1939), 65 Ohio App. 45, 49, 29 N.E. 2d 175. (Footnotes omitted.)
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“* * * [T]he finding of appellant to be in contempt * * * was error * * *.” Waldmann v. Waldmann (1976), 48 Ohio St. 2d 176, 176-179, 2 O.O. 3d 373, 374-375, 358 N.E. 2d 521, 522-523.
“* * * In 28 Ruling Case Law, 571, Section 161, it is stated:
“ ‘Communications between an attorney and the agent of his client are also entitled to the same protection from disclosure as those passing directly between the attorney and his client.

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Bluebook (online)
536 N.E.2d 1206, 42 Ohio Misc. 2d 12, 1988 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 12, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-grand-jury-subpoena-issued-to-burns-ohctcomplhamilt-1988.