P.M. v. Gould

136 P.3d 223, 212 Ariz. 541, 478 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 9, 2006 Ariz. App. LEXIS 69
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMay 23, 2006
Docket1 CA-SA 05-0207
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 136 P.3d 223 (P.M. v. Gould) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
P.M. v. Gould, 136 P.3d 223, 212 Ariz. 541, 478 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 9, 2006 Ariz. App. LEXIS 69 (Ark. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

IRVINE, Presiding Judge.

¶ 1 This special action presents the following issue: whether the State’s interest in securing an aggravated punishment at a sentencing hearing and the defendant’s due process rights justify the trial court’s order to disclose the victim’s privileged communications with a counselor. For the reasons discussed below, the trial court should reconsider the competing interests in this case in light of State v. Martinez, 210 Ariz. 578, 115 P.3d 618 (2005) (holding that the jury need only find a single aggravating factor to subject a defendant to an aggravated sentence). The counselor’s records may be disclosed, and the counselor ordered to testify, only if the State shows that the information sought is essential to proving that an aggravated sentence should be imposed.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2 A.M. is a victim of sexual assault who suffers from cerebral palsy. Her mother, Petitioner P.M., seeks relief on A.M.’s behalf.

¶ 3 A jury convicted A.M.’s father, Defendant Charles Frederick Moore, of four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and four counts of sexual assault. The trial court found an aggravating factor, emotional harm to the victim, Arizona Revised Statutes (“A.R.S.”) section 13-702(0(9) (Supp.2005), and sentenced Defendant to an aggravated term of twenty-five years’ imprisonment.

¶ 4 The United States Supreme Court subsequently held that a jury must find all facts, other than a prior conviction, that expose the defendant to a sentence greater than the statutory maximum. Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403 (2004). On Defendant’s Blakely motion, the trial court ordered resentencing for a jury to consider the aggravating factors.

¶ 5 The State contends that it will seek to prove the following aggravating factors during the resentencing proceedings: (1) A.M. was a “disabled person” per A.R.S. § 13-702(0(13); 1 (2) Defendant committed the offense in a child’s presence per A.R.S. § 13-702(C)(18); 2 (3) Defendant committed sexual offenses in the past against his sister, and his sister-in-law, per A.R.S. § 13-702(0(11); (4) Defendant committed the prior offenses in the presence of a child; (5) Defendant abused his position of trust when he committed the sexual offenses against his daughter, A.M., per A.R.S. § 13-702(0(23) (catchall provision); and (6) the emotional harm to the victim, per A.R.S. § 13-702(0(9).

¶ 6 The State informed Defendant that it would call the victim, her mother, and the victim’s counselor as witnesses to prove the emotional harm aggravator. Defendant’s counsel asked the court to order disclosure of the victim’s private counseling records so she could prepare her interview of the counselor. The State agreed that the victim’s counseling records should be disclosed to Defendant.

¶ 7 Petitioner sought to protect the victim’s privacy by preventing production of the victim’s counseling records. In response, the State recommended that the trial court conduct an in camera review of the records and disclose any relevant records to Defendant. Defendant’s counsel agreed that the in camera inspection would effectively balance the competing interests in this case. Prior to the court’s ruling on the motion, the State informed the court that the victim objected to the production of her counseling records.

*544 ¶8 The trial court granted Defendant’s motion to produce the victim’s counseling records for an in camera review. Because the court found the emotional harm aggravate»- at the original sentencing, the trial court concluded that this finding effected a waiver of the victim’s privilege. The trial judge said, “[b]y putting that into the record, the privilege as to relevant records has been waived.” Neither party had requested the counseling records at the original sentencing proceeding, and the court found the aggravating factor without any disclosure of the victim’s counseling records.

¶ 9 Petitioner then retained counsel who filed a motion to reconsider. In a telephonic conference, the court warned Petitioner that if the victim insisted on refusing to disclose her counseling records, “then the victim was jeopardizing the allegation of emotional harm and making it likely that the Defendant would not receive an aggravated sentence.” Petitioner’s counsel disagreed and asserted that the State could prove this aggravator without disclosure of the victim’s counseling records.

¶ 10 On July 8, 2005, the trial court entered an order denying the motion to reconsider and affirming its prior order mandating disclosure of the records for an in camera review. The order included the following findings relating to the victim:

[T]he state intends to call the victim and the victim’s counselor to prove the aggravating factor of emotional harm; ... the state has acknowledged that the counsel- or may rely upon the victim’s counseling records in rendering testimony at the sentencing trial; ... [the state has alleged that] the victim’s counseling records may be, in whole or in part, related to the emotional harm the victim allegedly suffered ...; [although the victim seeks to preclude disclosure of her counseling records, she has not, through counsel, expressed an intention to withdraw the allegation of emotional harm as an aggravating factor; ... the victim’s counseling records are privileged ...; the victim may waive this privilege by pursuing a course of conduct inconsistent with the observance of the privilege ...; [and] the victim has a state constitutional right to refuse disclosure of her [privileged] counseling records.

¶ 11 The court explained that Defendant’s due process right includes the right to obtain information “essential to the preparation of a defense.” Further, the court added, when the victim’s counselor-patient privilege is at odds with the defendant’s due process rights, “the defendant’s due process right is the ‘superior right.’ ” The trial court recognized that Defendant does not have an unlimited right to disclosure. Rather, it is the duty of the trial court to determine which records are exculpatory and essential to a defense, via an in camera inspection. Finally, the court concluded that conducting an “in camera review properly balances the constitutional rights of the victim and the defendant.” In response to the court’s order, Petitioner filed this special action.

JURISDICTION

¶ 12 When a party asserts a privilege against a discovery order, special action jurisdiction lies because the party has “no equally plain, speedy, or adequate remedy by appeal.” State v. Brown,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
136 P.3d 223, 212 Ariz. 541, 478 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 9, 2006 Ariz. App. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pm-v-gould-arizctapp-2006.