One of the most basic ethical rules for lawyers is the attorney client privilege . It can not be violated by a any lawyer . Yet , the U.S. Attorney’s in Nashville office broke that rule while prosecuting a sex trafficking ring . It appears the U.S. Attorney’s Office intercepted over 300 private phone calls from inmates or those accused of a crime to their criminal defense attorney.
One tactic that prosecutors both in federal court and state court here in Nashville love to use is to listen in on calls from jail. They are hoping to get more evidence or catch some confessing to the crime .Note to those that might end in in jail or their families . Don’t discuss your case on a jailhouse telephone
Judge William Haynes ruled that the jail’s recording of attorney-inmate calls is "a serious threat to constitutional rights". U.S. Attorneys had turned over 300 client telephone calls of criminal defense attorney Patrick Frogge.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office did not comment on the court’s order or their phone recording policy .
The court found that since the sheriff”s office has a policy of blocking some telephone calls from being recorded or listened in on if they knew the the phone number belonged to an attorney .
U.S. Attorney has not commented yet if his office intends to appeal Judge Haynes’ decision.