Jaffee v. Redmond

Redmond (defendant), a police officer, shot and killed a man during an on-duty encounter; Jaffee, the estate's administrator (plaintiff), sued for wrongful death and excessive force. At trial, Redmond refused, despite a court order, to testify about post-shooting counseling sessions with a licensed social worker, and the judge instructed the jury it could infer the sessions contained unfavorable information — the jury found for the plaintiff. The Seventh Circuit reversed, recognizing a federal psychotherapist-patient privilege, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.