Lawyer-client Privilege Bars Release of Some Documents, Philadelphia Archdiocese Says

Catholic Culture
March 19, 2012

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=13714

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has refused to release some documents for the sex-abuse trial of a former archdiocesan official, saying that the documents are protected by the lawyer-client privilege.

Lawyers for Msgr. William Lynn are seeking to subpoena letters from an exchange he had with archdiocesan attorneys while he was secretary for clerical affairs. The archdiocese is resisting the subpoena, saying that the lawyer-client privilege in this case applies not only to Msgr. Lynn but to the archdiocese, since he was seeking legal advice for the archdiocese rather than for himself.