Miscellaneous

Privacy law and criminal investigations, cont'd

By Walter Olson, Ted Frank, and David Nieporent

Following up on our discussion of HIPAA and the New York therapist murder, police have reported a break in the case, arresting a mentally disturbed man who has told investigators of having been committed to a mental institution 17 years ago by Dr. Kent Shimbach, the doctor who was injured in the rampage (and who shared offices with the therapist who was killed, Kathryn Faughey). Dr. Shinbach apparently has told investigators that he did not recognize the assailant and has no memory of any contact with him in the past.

Helen Smith ("Dr. Helen") at Pajamas Media recalls the case of Vallejo, California psychologist Ira Polonsky, Ph.D., "who was shot and killed by what family members believe was a former patient. Unfortunately his death is still a mystery. Why? Blame the confidentiality laws in California:"

?police have been stymied in pursuing that line of investigation because of confidentiality laws protecting Polonsky?s patient records and appointment books.

Vallejo police detectives are in touch with a court-appointed attorney ? a ?special master? ? who is working with the county court to see if there can be at least a limited review of protected records, but neither police nor court officials will comment on progress in that area.

And Hans Bader takes note of a recent Volokh thread discussing cases in which it seems Massachusetts privacy law was construed to prohibit the taping of ransom discussions with kidnappers (Commonwealth v. Jackson, 1976, mentioned in passing here) and a Florida court considered (but rejected!) the argument that a murderer's privacy was infringed by his victim's having tape recorded the murder.

Full post as published by Overlawyered on February 19, 2008 (boomark / email).