Application For Appointed Counsel Is Privileged

The New Jersey Appellate Division has held that a defendant’s application for appointed counsel and the “factual materials submitted in support of that application are protected b y the attorney-client privilege. The privilege may properly be invoked where the materials “may contain information the State could use against [the defendant] in the prosecution of the charges for which he sought representation…”

The defendant was one of 34 persons indicted for racketeering. The court indicated that it might consider enforcing a more narrowly-drawn subpoena. (Mike Frisch)