State v. Wood

Fain, Judge.

Defendant-appellant James M. Wood appeals from his conviction and sentence for retaliation, following his plea of no contest to that charge. Wood alleges that the trial court erred in overruling his motion to suppress statements he made to an unlicensed psychologist on the basis of the psychologist-patient privilege provided for in R.C. 4732.19 and 2317.02(B).

We conclude that because the psychologist-patient privilege provided for in R.C. 4732.19 and 2317.02(B) is in derogation of the common law, it must be strictly construed. Since R.C. 4732.19 expressly refers to licensed…