This website is best viewed in a browser that supports web standards.

Skip to content or, if you would rather, Skip to navigation.

Listen Live
Donate
MARYVILLE

KXCV-KRNW


News Brief

June 7, 2021Des Moines, Iowa |  By: AP

Court rejects private lawyer phone consult prior to charges


DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Supreme Court says Iowans have no right to a confidential  telephone conversation with a lawyer prior to charges being filed.

The decision released Friday deals a significant blow to attorney-client privilege. The court released the decision in upholding a drunken driving conviction against Matthew Sewell, a Milford man arrested in January 2019.

A majority of the court concluded that the constitutional right to an attorney only applies after charges are filed and that state law says privacy is assured only in face-to-face meetings with a lawyer.