State v. Burns

This is an interlocutory appeal from an order of the Fifth Judicial District Court, Beaverhead County, Montana, denying the appellant’s request to compel discovery of the respondent’s personnel files from the Catholic Diocese. We affirm.

The issue on appeal is whether the District Court abused its discretion in refusing to grant the State’s motion to discover the Catholic Diocese’s personnel records concerning the respondent in a criminal case after the District Court conducted an in camera inspection.

Defendant and respondent, George Bums (Bums) was charged with Deviate Sexual Conduct under §…