Several interrogatories were addressed by the grand jury to the witness, which he refused to answer, on the ground that his answers might tend to criminate him.
If, in such a case, he say, upon his oath, that his answer would criminate himself, the court can demand no other testimony of the fact.
If a direct answer to it may criminate himself, then he must be the sole judge what his answer would be.
He owes no duty to the state or to his neighbors to divulge his business, or to open his doors to an investigation, so far as it may tend to criminate him.
The chief justice, observing that, if the witness was to decide upon this, it must be on oath, interrogated the witness whether his answering the question would criminate himself, to which he replied that it might in a certain case.
The Sprint would be the most effective counter against a "saturation" attack on a Min uteman base because it is be lieved to be better able to dis criminate between a real in coming warhead and a decoy than the Spartan can, he said.
We compared the issue to that presented by cases involving public papers, explaining that "where, by virtue of their character and the rules of law applicable to them, the books and papers are held subject to examination by the demanding authority, the custodian has no privilege to refuse production although their contents tend to criminate him". Id., at 382, 31 S.Ct., at 545.
The appellant justifies his action in refusing to answer the questions propounded to him, 1st, upon the ground that there was no specific 'charge' pending before the grand jury against any particular person; 2d, that the answers would tend to criminate him.
The Wilson Court declared: "By virtue of their character and the rules of law applicable to them, the books and papers are held subject to examination by the demanding authority, the custodian has no privilege to refuse production although their contents tend to criminate him.
If no officials have tried to get the person to speak, he evidently has a duty to incriminate himself, because the reporting of crime is a civic duty and the Fifth Amendment is not applicable since the decision to speak or remain silent is, at that time, "voluntary". See ante, at 244. settled maxim of law that no man is bound to criminate himself").
