If a person files a waiver of immunity or privilege during court proceedings, what do they lose?

When a person files a waiver of immunity or privilege during court proceedings, they are relinquishing their immunity or privilege in relation to specific legal protections. Immunity often refers to the legal protection that prevents an individual from being sued or prosecuted under certain circumstances, while privilege can refer to confidential communications, such as those between a lawyer and their client.

By waiving this immunity or privilege, the individual allows the court to consider evidence or testimony that would typically be protected. This means that the individual is no longer shielded from potential consequences that would otherwise be avoided due to that immunity or privilege. In practical terms, if the individual permits their privilege to be waived, they may face legal repercussions that they would have otherwise avoided, such as criminal liability or the disclosure of sensitive information.

Other options, such as losing legal counsel, the right to a fair trial, or the ability to appeal, are not inherent consequences of waiving immunity or privilege. Legal counsel can continue to represent the individual, the right to a fair trial is maintained regardless of whether someone waives immunity, and the ability to appeal remains intact unless otherwise restricted by the circumstances of the case. Thus, the loss of immunity is the principal impact of filing such a waiver.