United States v. Kendrick

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

331 F.2d 110 (4th Cir. 1964)

Relevant factsFree

Kendrick (defendant) moved to vacate his sentence, claiming he had been incompetent to stand trial. At the hearing on that motion, his trial attorney testified that Kendrick had been responsive, logical, and appeared to understand the trial while it was happening. The trial court denied the motion, and Kendrick appealed, arguing his attorney's testimony should have been excluded under the attorney-client privilege.

IssueFree

Whether the attorney-client privilege protects a client's demeanor or attitude in addition to the substance of the client's communications with the attorney.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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