Higgs v. Bole

WISE, Justice.

Lawton Higgs, Sr., formerly a pastor and pastor emeritus at the Church of the Reconciler (“COR”), a United Methodist church, brought an action in the Jefferson Circuit Court against Tom Bole, a lay member of COR, alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. During the proceedings, Higgs filed a civil subpoena requesting the production of certain documents from Reverend Ron Schultz, the district supervisor of the South Central District of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church (“the Conference”). Reverend Schultz…