Evidence Code

ORS 40.264
Rule 507-1. Certified advocate-victim privilege

(1)

As used in this section:

(a)

“Certified advocate” means a person who:

(A)

Has completed at least 40 hours of training in advocacy for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, approved by the Attorney General by rule; and

(B)

Is an employee or a volunteer of a qualified victim services program.

(b)

“Confidential communication” means a written or oral communication that is not intended for further disclosure, except to:

(A)

Persons present at the time the communication is made who are present to further the interests of the victim in the course of seeking safety planning, counseling, support or advocacy services;

(B)

Persons reasonably necessary for the transmission of the communication; or

(C)

Other persons, in the context of group counseling.

(c)

“Qualified victim services program” means:

(A)

A nongovernmental, nonprofit, community-based program receiving moneys administered by the state Department of Human Services or the Oregon or United States Department of Justice, or a program administered by a tribal government, that offers safety planning, counseling, support or advocacy services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking; or

(B)

A sexual assault center, victim advocacy office, women’s center, student affairs center, health center or other program providing safety planning, counseling, support or advocacy services to victims that is on the campus of or affiliated with a two- or four-year post-secondary institution that enrolls one or more students who receive an Oregon Opportunity Grant.

(d)

“Victim” means a person seeking safety planning, counseling, support or advocacy services related to domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking at a qualified victim services program.

(2)

Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, a victim has a privilege to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from disclosing:

(a)

Confidential communications made by the victim to a certified advocate in the course of safety planning, counseling, support or advocacy services.

(b)

Records that are created or maintained in the course of providing services regarding the victim.

(3)

The privilege established by this section does not apply to the disclosure of confidential communications, only to the extent disclosure is necessary for defense, in any civil, criminal or administrative action that is brought against the certified advocate, or against the qualified victim services program, by or on behalf of the victim.

(4)

The privilege established in this section is not waived by disclosure of the communications by the certified advocate to another person if the disclosure is reasonably necessary to accomplish the purpose for which the certified advocate is consulted.

(5)

This section does not prohibit the disclosure of aggregate, nonpersonally identifying data.

(6)

This section applies to civil, criminal and administrative proceedings and to institutional disciplinary proceedings at a two-year or four-year post-secondary institution that enrolls one or more students who receive an Oregon Opportunity Grant. [2015 c.265 §2; 2017 c.256 §1]
Note: 40.264 (Rule 507-1. Certified advocate-victim privilege) was added to and made a part of 40.225 (Rule 503. Lawyer-client privilege) to 40.295 (Rule 514. Effect on existing privileges) by legislative action but was not added to any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
Chapter 40

(Generally)

Notes of Decisions

General rule is that polygraph evidence is inadmissible in proceeding governed by Oregon Evidence Code. State v. Brown, 297 Or 404, 687 P2d 751 (1984)

Party could introduce results of polygraph test taken by spouse for purpose of showing that response of party upon learning polygraph results was reasonable. Fromdahl and Fromdahl, 314 Or 496, 840 P2d 683 (1992)

Where state law completely precludes reliable, materially exculpatory evidence, exclusion of that evidence violates Due Process Clauses of United States Constitution. State v. Cazares-Mendez, 233 Or App 310, 227 P3d 172 (2010), aff'd State v. Cazares-Mendez/Reyes-Sanchez, 350 Or 491, 256 P3d 104 (2011)

Oregon Evidence Code articulates minimum standards of reliability that apply to many types of evidence for admissibility, including eyewitness identification evidence, and parties must employ code to address admissibility of eyewitness testimony. State v. Lawson/James, 352 Or 724, 291 P3d 673 (2012)

Law Review Citations

59 OLR 43 (1980); 19 WLR 343 (1983)

Chapter 40

Evidence Code

Annotations are listed under the heading "Under former similar statute" if they predate the adoption of the Evidence Code, which went into effect January 1, 1982.

Source

Last accessed
Jun. 26, 2021

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