Texas Defense Firm | June 19, 2023 | Criminal Defense
If you are a Collin County, Texas, resident accused of a crime, you have the right to representation from a qualified Collin County federal drug lawyer. The right to counsel also guarantees your right to confidentiality. This means that any conversation or communication between you and your attorney is privileged. Those communications may not be used as evidence against you in court. But there are potential exceptions where lawyer-client communications can be used in court.
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Criticize Jailhouse Monitoring
But what happens if you are in jail while awaiting a bail hearing or trial? Most Texas jails post notices that inmate communications are monitored. The jail may record and use anything said between an inmate and a friend or family member during visiting hours as evidence against the inmate at trial.
Even in jail, however, lawyer-client communications remain privileged. That does not mean prosecutors and jail officials may not try and listen in on an inmate’s meeting with his or her attorney. In many cases, it may not be overt. Many jails indiscriminately record all inmate conversations without taking care to respect attorney-client privilege.
In recent years a number of criminal defense lawyers in Texas have challenged the widespread lack of sufficient protections for client communications in jails. A 2012 Associated Press report noted sheriff’s departments in Galveston and Harris counties were “routinely recording all conversations, including those between attorneys and clients,” going back more than a decade. Law enforcement officials instituted measures to prevent such abuse of inmate rights in the future. But there is still no guarantee that calls will not be monitored in the future.
Is There a “Reasonable Expectation” of Privacy in Jail?
Judges have also been inconsistent in their rulings with respect to attorney-client privilege in a jailhouse setting. Some judges believe that inmates and their attorneys have no reasonable expectation of privacy when the jail posts a notice that conversations are monitored. But there are other cases where judges have said the privilege still holds.
There are other limits to the attorney-client privilege to keep in mind. For instance, if an inmate tells his or her lawyer they intend to commit a crime. If the attorney is somehow conspiring with the inmate to commit a crime that information may be used as evidence against the inmate.
The best way to ensure your rights are respected is to work with an experienced Collin County DWI lawyer. Contact the offices of Texas Defense Firm, if you need to speak with an experienced Collin County criminal defense attorney right away.
Contact Our McKinney Criminal Defense Attorneys For Legal Help
If you’ve been charged with a crime in McKinney or Dallas and need legal help, contact our skilled criminal defense attorneys at Texas Defense Firm. Schedule a confidential consultation today to discuss your case and protect your rights.
We proudly serve Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties and the surrounding areas. Visit our law offices at:
Texas Defense Firm – McKinney Office
7300 State Highway 121 Suite 400
McKinney TX 75070
(972) 369-0577
Available 24/7
Texas Defense Firm – Dallas Office
4100 Alpha Rd Suite 476
Dallas TX 75244
(469) 365-2228
Available 24/7