Holliday v. Gerth, Unpublished Decision (3-2-2006)
Holliday v. Gerth, Unpublished Decision (3-2-2006)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} We must first address a motion to dismiss that has been referred to this panel. Holliday asks us to dismiss the appeal on grounds that the discovery order being appealed from is not subject to immediate appellate review as being a provisional remedy defined by R.C.
{¶ 3} Unfortunately, Gerth fails to show exactly which documents are subject to the attorney-client privilege. "[T]he burden of showing that testimony sought to be excluded under the doctrine of privileged attorney-client communications rests upon the party seeking to exclude it." Waldmann v. Waldmann (1976),
{¶ 4} "Any and all drafts, including the final draft and the draft identified by Reference No. 1241065v1 of the Declaration of Trust of Shirley S. Gerth, prepared in the fall of 2002, and any bills, statements and/or itemized bills for services provided in connection with the preparation of that Declaration of Trust."
{¶ 5} Gerth argues that the various drafts of the trust prior to the final document relate directly to advice that "may have been given" to the Gerths by the attorney drafting their estate plans. R. 33. By citing to communications that "may have been given," Gerth impliedly shows that he has no concrete basis for asserting the privilege. Gerth makes no convincing argument to show exactly what privileged information may be requested by the subpoena. For example, information relating to itemized billing typically does not contain privileged communications. As we noted, Holliday believed that Gerth created the trusts shortly after being informed that he would be named in a civil lawsuit, his intent being to shield his assets from a judgment.
{¶ 6} Of course, it would be naive to assume that Holliday is only interested in the dates relating to the creation of the trusts. We assume that one of her reasons for seeking this discovery is to show that Gerth wrongfully backdated the trusts in order to protect assets from a civil judgment. If that is the case, and we stress that we express no opinion on whether that circumstance occurred, that fact could be fair game for use at trial as part of a punitive damages claim. At that point, privilege concerns may be more tangible and thus Gerth could seek another protective order. In that event, Gerth could request an in camera inspection of allegedly privileged material and avoid interlocutory appeals — something he has so far failed to request. To be sure, Gerth now maintains the court should have conducted an in camera inspection. But such an inspection is predicated on an initial showing of merit, and as we have noted, Gerth failed to make that showing here.
{¶ 7} We therefore find nothing in the record to show that the information sought by the subpoena would encompass communications falling within the attorney-client privilege. This being the case, no provisional remedy is present under R.C.
This appeal is dismissed.
It is ordered that appellee recover of appellant her costs herein taxed.
The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the Common Pleas Court to carry this judgment into execution.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
Calabrese, Jr., P.J., and McMonagle, J., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Kimberly Holliday v. Sol R. Gerth
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Unpublished