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United States v. Kovel

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
296 F.2d 918 (1961)

Written by Sean Carroll, JD

Facts

Kovel (defendant) was a former accountant that worked for a tax-law firm. Kovel was not an attorney. Hopps was a client of the law firm and was being investigated for tax fraud by a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The grand jury subpoenaed Kovel, seeking to ask Kovel about communications between him and Hopps. Kovel asserted the attorney-client privilege and refused to testify. The district court held Kovel in contempt. Kovel appealed.

Rule of Law

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Issue

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Holding and Reasoning (Friendly, J.)

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A "yes" or "no" answer to the question framed in the issue section;
A summary of the majority or plurality opinion, using the CREAC method; and
The procedural disposition (e.g., reversed and remanded, affirmed, etc.).

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