Cox’s anguish didn’t end in the privacy of an AA meeting. One AA listener tipped off authorities last year, and two weeks ago seven AA members testified under subpoena at the murder trial. (The defense contends temporary insanity.) Cox’s lawyer argued that his client’s confession was privileged – that like conversations between an individual and a doctor or lawyer it was protected from being revealed in open court. The trial judge ruled otherwise. Legal experts say that, unlike meetings between a patient and a licensed professional, self-help groups are usually run by laypeople. Members are under the same obligations as the public: they don’t have to report crimes they learn about, but if subpoenaed they must testify.
Even without legal protection, many self-help attendees assume that what they say in a group meeting will never leave the room. (To ensure confidentiality, AA members reveal only first names.) Joe Scavetta, an addiction psychiatrist, says, ““Now, people may censor their speech out of concern that their confidentiality could be broken.’’ If that happens, the whole point of self-help may be defeated.
