State v. Maxon
Supreme Court of Washington
756 P.2d 1297 (Wash. 1988)
Relevant factsFree
Eric Maxon (defendant) was charged with murder. The prosecution deposed Maxon's parents, but they refused to testify about communications Maxon allegedly had with them about the murder, asserting a parent-child confidential communications privilege grounded in privacy rights, common law, and public policy. The trial court granted the State's (plaintiff) motion to compel, and when the parents kept refusing, held them in contempt. The parents appealed.
IssueFree
Whether there is a parent-child testimonial privilege protecting confidential communications between a parent and child.