Suburban Trust Co. v. Waller

Street and Smith 1 would have probably entitled this case as, “The Bank That Talked Too Much.” The matter presents us with a novel question of the existence and scope of a bank’s duty of confidentiality concerning the affairs of its depositors. 2

The appellee, Maurice Waller (Waller) deposited $800 in his account at the Suburban Trust Company (Bank). Because of the actions of a security official, Waller was arrested on a charge of robbery with a dangerous and deadly weapon. The facts surrounding the deposit led a jury in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County to withdraw, in the form of a…