Attorney Client Confidentiality

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Attorney-Client Confidentiality Guadalupe Meza CJS/220 06/06/2012 Deshonda Bailey Attorney- Client Confidentiality Attorney- client confidentiality is private conversation between a lawyer and their client that is protected from being disclosed to a third party. This confidentiality consists of communication and trust which allows an attorney to represent their client more effectively. If clients were not able to be assured of the confidentiality of the information that they tell their attorney then they would be most likely to hide or not share information that may be helpful for the attorney to defend their client. This privilege is neither uncontroversial nor is it limited. Because of the Nix v. Whiteside case in 1986 the Supreme Court decided that the clients Sixth Amendment right to assistance of counsel was not deprived when his attorney told the court that he was aware that his client intended to perjure himself when he testified in court about events that led up to the murder of the victim. This case raised the issue whether the attorney should have revealed to the court the information that his client revealed to him in confidence. Some people say that because the attorney is an officer of the court his actions were ethical and appropriate. Defense attorneys are responsible for reporting perjury to the court in order to prevent perpetuation of fraud against the court despite the attorney-client privilege. An attorney can reveal information only regarding the crime the defendant is being accused of not any other information about other crimes that they have not been accused of. The attorney is actually obligated to NOT reveal other information that does not pertain to the crime of accusation. If the attorney believes reasonably that their client is intending to commit a crime they are legally obligated to reveal that

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