Rule 501 - Privileges Recognized Only as Provided; Statutory Privileges(a) Privileges Recognized. Except as otherwise provided by constitution or statute or by these or other rules promulgated by the Supreme Court, no person has a privilege to: (1) Refuse to be a witness; (2) Refuse to disclose any matter; (3) Refuse to produce any object or writing; or (4) Prevent another from being a witness or disclosing any matter or producing any object or writing. This rule shall not be construed to prevent the development at common law of other privileges.
(b) Statutory Privileges. This subdivision applies to information which is protected by a statutory privilege and which: (1) was collected or recorded under a statute, rule or order requiring a report, disclosure or communication to a public agency, officer or employee; (2) was collected or recorded by a public agency, officer or employee in order to provide treatment or services to the privilege holder or to determine whether to charge the privilege holder with a crime or delinquent act; or (3) was communicated to a mediator, factfinder or arbitrator during a labor dispute or negotiation. The public agency, officer or employee or the mediator, factfinder or arbitrator who holds the information is presumed to have the authority to claim the privilege on behalf of the person privileged. Unless the statute provides to the contrary, the privilege does not extend to original information, documents or records when sought from original sources. No privilege exists in actions involving perjury, false statements, fraud in a return or report, or other failure to comply with the statute, rule or order in question. Rules 510 through 512 shall apply to privileges covered by this subdivision. Amended Jan. 8, 1985, eff. 3/7/1985; Feb. 5, 1985, eff. 3/7/1985.