Although the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has withdrawn a subpoena issued to a criminal defense attorney because the witness the office was investigating has pleaded to a misdemeanor, prosecutors continue to defend the subpoena as a proper exercise of their authority and claim it does not violate attorney-privilege rules.
Defense attorney Vinoo Varghese of Varghese & Associates, the target of the subpoena, argues otherwise. He and his lawyers are seeking a ruling on his motion to quash, claiming the issuance of such subpoenas could have repercussions for the entire criminal defense bar. The Legal Aid Society has filed supporting papers.
