Attorney-client privilege and outstanding warrants

[luvmytexas]

In the event I were to go to court for a civil matter and my attorney or the opposing attorney is aware that I have outstanding warrants for my arrest, are they obligated to turn me in to the authorities or are they bound by Attorney-client privilege to keep this confidential? The open warrants were for assault causing bodily harm. These were never properly handled before leaving from Texas in 2004. The civil matter would be in Missouri.

 

[Mass_Shyster]

In the event I were to go to court for a civil matter and my attorney or the opposing attorney is aware that I have outstanding warrants for my arrest, are they obligated to turn me in to the authorities or are they bound by Attorney-client privilege to keep this confidential? The open warrants were for assault causing bodily harm. These were never properly handled before leaving from Texas in 2004. The civil matter would be in Missouri.

There is no attorney-client privilege between you and the opposing attorney. You are not his/her client.

 

[swalsh411]

Your best hope is that he will not bring it up since presumably he's on his client's dime and it's a matter entirely unrelated to that. Also he probably wouldn't like other lawyers doing it to his clients since it's much harder to pay your legal fees when you're in jail.

 

[latigo]

I think you will find that the rule of confidentiality applies ONLY to information relating to the attorney’s representation of the client.

Example:

" Missouri Supreme Court Rule 4-1.6 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

“(a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly (sic) authorized in order to carry out the representation, or the disclosure is permitted by Rule 4-1.6(b).”

(Rule 4-1.6 (b) [6] Provides a limitation on Missouri’s confidentiality rule where it compromises or conflicts with overriding principles of preserving life and preventing violent crimes.)