Washington, DC (May 6, 1998) -- In response to the public release of monitored private telephone conversations between Webster Hubbell, his wife, his attorney, his accountant and others by Representative Dan Burton (R-IN), chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers released the following statement:
"The release of selectively-edited transcripts of Webster Hubbell's telephone conversations from prison with his wife and with his lawyer violated two sacred relationships cherished by our society: the sanctity of private conversations between man and wife and the necessary confidentiality between client and counsel. It is nothing less than revolting that private conversations, ordinarily protected by law, would be subpoenaed, and then edited and twisted to accommodate some misguided politician's ongoing vendetta against the President. Is the privacy of citizens no longer important in our society? Is there no sense of decency left anymore in what some zealots will do to grab a headline or snare a President or a First Lady?"
Contacts
NACDL Communications Department
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.