WALANPATRIAS FOUNDATION, PETITIONER,
v.
AMP SERVICES LIMITED, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE WALTER AND ANNA BRONNER TRUST, RESPONDENT
AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.
The Walanpatrias Foundation challenged a trial court order finding that a prima facie case of the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege was established and ordering in camera inspection of privileged documents. The appellate court affirmed the prima facie determination but quashed portions of the order for failing to provide the Foundation an evidentiary hearing and opportunity for appellate review before document disclosure.
The court affirmed that AMP presented a prima facie case justifying in camera inspection, but quashed the order's provisions that allowed immediate disclosure to AMP without: (1) providing the Foundation an evidentiary hearing to present evidence and argument on disclosure of particular documents, and (2) preserving the Foundation's opportunity for appellate review before any specific documents were disclosed.
[1] A party seeking to overcome the attorney-client privilege based on the crime-fraud exception must provide the party defending the privilege an opportunity to be heard, by…
[2] A party defending a privilege against a claim of the crime-fraud exception must be given an opportunity to present evidence and argument regarding the disclosure of parti…
Previewing 2 of 5 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“prior to disclosure to the other sides, the party defending the privilege must be 'given the opportunity to be heard, by evidence and argument, at the hearing seeking an exception to the privilege.'”
Establishes the required procedural safeguard that the trial court omitted—the privilege-defending party must have a hearing before disclosure occurs.
Previewing 1 of 3 key quotes on this case — the court’s exact language, pinpointed for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAMP Services Limited sought to overcome attorney-client privilege by asserting the crime-fraud exception. The trial court found AMP presented a prima …
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence© FLexlaw, Inc. — AI-generated enrichments are proprietary. All rights reserved.
Explore caselaw by topic → Browse Crime-Fraud Exception cases and more on FLexlaw
PER CURIAM.
The Walanpatrias Foundation (the Foundation), a defendant below, seeks review of a non-final order finding that the plaintiff, AMP Services Limited (AMP), presented a prima facie case that the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege applied and ordering delivery to the court of the documents on the Foundation’s privilege log, for in camera inspection. We grant the petition in part.
The challenged order provides that any documents on the privilege log which dis cuss1 the perpetuation of a crime or fraud by misleading the court and others would be released immediately to AMP, without making provision for any further hearing or order. As the Foundation points out, this procedure is defective in that it does not allow it the opportunity to present evidence to rebut the trial court’s conclusion as to any particular document selected by the trial court for release. No evidentiary hearing is required before the in camera inspection, nor does the record reflect that the Foundation requested one; for this purpose, “it would be sufficient for the trial court, in its discretion, to consider only the presentation made by the party challenging the privilege.” Am. Tobacco Co. v. State, 697 So. 2d 1249, 1255 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997) (quoting Haines v. Liggett Group, Inc., 975 F. 2d 81, 96 (3d Cir.1992)).
However, prior to disclosure to the other sides, the party defending the privilege must be “given the opportunity to be heard, by evidence and argument, at the hearing seeking an exception to the privilege.” Id. at 1255 (citing Haines, 975 F. 2d at 97).
See also IDS Long Distance v. Heiffer, 837 So. 2d 1130, 1131 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003) (quashing portion of order applying crime/fraud exception to attorney-client privilege without the evidentiary hearing contemplated by American Tobacco)-, Butler, Pappas, Weihmuller, Katz, Craig, LLP v. Coral Reef of Key Biscayne Developers, Inc., 873 So. 2d 339, 342 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003) (explaining that if trial court determines crime-fraud exception applies, then client is entitled to evidentiary hearing where client would carry burden of persuasion to give a reasonable explanation for its communication or conduct), rev. dismissed, 881 So. 2d 1111 (Fla.2004).
This evidentiary hearing has been omitted by the terms of the trial court’s order.
Second, this procedure is defective in that the order provides for an immediate turning over of the documents by the judge to AMP, without further opportunity for appellate review of the judge’s decision following the in camera inspection. Ordinarily, “an order requiring production for an in camera inspection cannot display the appropriate characteristic of permanent harm because a remedy is available if and when the trial court enters a further order (after in camera inspection) requiring dissemination of the protected matter to the appropriate party or parties.” Cebrian by and Through Cebrian v. Klein, 614 So. 2d 1209, 1210 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993).
That remedy is lacking under the terms of the order under review. Compare In re Grand Jury Subpoena, 190 F. 3d 375, 388 (5th Cir.1999) (providing that when trial court orders production of documents following in camera review, it should provide the individual who submitted them an opportunity to comply or stand in contempt, a procedure which secures to the individual an avenue of immediate review of the order).
However, we find the trial court did not depart from the essential requirements of law in determining that AMP presented a prima facie case that the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege applied, sufficient to justify an in camera inspection.
Accordingly, we quash only that portion of the order on review that provides for the immediate release of documents to AMP without allowing the Foundation an opportunity to (1) present evidence and argument on the question of disclosure of particular documents; and (2) seek appellate review in the event the disclosure of any specific documents is ordered.
Granted in part; Denied in part.
SHAHOOD, C.J., FARMER and KLEIN, JJ., concur. . Inter alia, the Foundation argues the trial court departed in applying the wrong standard when it indicated that a document would be produced as falling within the exception if it merely discussed, rather than furthered, a crime or fraud. As the in camera inspection has not yet occurred, we find this issue is not yet ripe for review.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
-
Wallace v. State, 17 So. 3d 345 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009)…ent and sentence, she did not allege the date of the request or otherwise indicate that the request was made in a timely manner. If she failed to make a timely request for an appeal, she is not entitled to receive a belated appeal. Sargent v. State, 964 So. 2d 903, 903 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). We therefore deny the petition without prejudice to Wallace to file a legally sufficient petition. PETITION DENIED. SAWAYA, LAWSON and JACOBUS, JJ., concur.…
-
Vrege Armoyan v. Armoyan, 64 So. 3d 198 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)…an evidentiary hearing at which husband was permitted to testify. Butler, Pappas, Weihmuller, Katz, Craig, LLP v. Coral Reef of Key Biscayne Developers, Inc., 873 So. 2d 339, 342 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003). See also Walanpatrias Found, v. AMP Servs., Ltd., 964 So. 2d 903, 905 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007); IDS Long Distance, Inc. v. Heiffer, 837 So. 2d 1130, 1131 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003); Am. Tobacco Co. v. State, 697 So. 2d 1249, 1255 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997). This matter is remanded for the trial court to allow the husband to testify…
Authorities Cited
- Howard v. State, 697 So. 2d 1249 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997)
- Haines v. Liggett Grp. Inc., 975 F.2d 81 (3d Cir. 1992)
- Cebrian v. Robert Klein, M.D., 614 So. 2d 1209 (Fla. 4th DCA 1993)
- Butler v. Coral Reef OF KEY Biscayne Developers, Inc., 873 So. 2d 339 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003)
- IDS Long Distance, Inc. v. Heiffer, 837 So. 2d 1130 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003)