You are here: / / TRIAL JUDGE PROPERLY REFUSED TO COMPEL THE WITNESS WHO ASSERTED HIS FIFTH...
,

TRIAL JUDGE PROPERLY REFUSED TO COMPEL THE WITNESS WHO ASSERTED HIS FIFTH AMENDMENT PRIVILEGE AGAINST SELF-INCRIMINATION TO TESTIFY OR TO ASSERT THE PRIVILEGE IN FRONT OF THE JURY (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined the trial judge properly refused to compel a witness (Chandler, an accomplice in the defendant’s offenses) who asserted his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination to testify or to assert the privilege in the presence of the jury:

Chandler — who had entered a guilty plea, but was awaiting sentencing — was produced in court. Outside the presence of the jury, Chandler’s counsel indicated that Chandler intended to exercise his privilege against self-incrimination based on the possibility that he could further incriminate himself, expose himself to perjury charges and/or provide testimony that could adversely impact his upcoming sentencing proceeding. Chandler confirmed under oath that he would invoke the privilege if called as a witness and, when questioned by defendant in the context of that inquiry, did in fact invoke the privilege. Supreme Court acknowledged that Chandler’s plea agreement was contingent upon “no information coming to the [c]ourt’s attention about prior criminal conduct that the [c]ourt did not know about.” Such unknown prior criminal conduct could potentially include crimes relating to defendant’s claim that Chandler coerced him into participating in the schemes to defraud. There was no basis for Supreme Court to conclude that Chandler’s “invocation of the privilege was clearly contumacious, nor was it patently clear that [Chandler’s testimony] could not subject him to prosecution” … . Accordingly, we discern no abuse of discretion in Supreme Court’s refusal to compel Chandler to testify or to require him to assert the privilege in the presence of the jury … . Although defendant certainly had the right to call witnesses and present a defense, he had “no right to compel testimony over a claim of recognized privilege” … . People v Jones, 2019 NY Slip Op 07647, Third Dept 10-24-19

 

You might also like
THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO MAKE ITS OWN DETERMINATION TO APPORTION SOME OF CLAIMANT’S DISABILITY TO A 1976 INJURY (THIRD DEPT).
CHILD’S OUT OF COURT STATEMENTS ABOUT ABUSE BY STEPFATHER SUFFICIENTLY CORROBORATED (THIRD DEPT).
THE INTOXICATED DEFENDANT’S DRIVING WHEN HE FLED FROM THE POLICE, WHILE RECKLESS, DID NOT DEMONSTRATE DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE; DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE MURDER CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE; CONVICTION REDUCED TO MANSLAUGHTER (THIRD DEPT). ​
Elements of a Defective Design Cause of Action Described
ALTHOUGH PETITIONER SLIPPED AND FELL ON ICE STEPPING OFF A BUS SHE WAS CLEANING, THE INCIDENT QUALIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY LAW ENTITLING PETITIONER TO ACCIDENTAL DISABILITY RETIREMENT BENEFITS, CLEANING BUSES WAS NOT PETITIONER’S NORMAL FUNCTION AND SHE HAD NEVER BEEN IN THE PARKING AREA WHERE SHE SLIPPED AND FELL (THIRD DEPT).
Instructor at Community College Entitled to Unemployment Benefits, No Reasonable Assurance of Continued Employment
THE VIDEO DID NOT SUPPORT THE CREATING-A-DISTURBANCE CHARGE, DETERMINATION ANNULLED (THIRD DEPT).
THE DOCTOR ORDERED A CERTAIN DOSAGE OF MEDICATION BE ADMINISTERED FOR “1” MINUTE TO ADDRESS SYMPTOMS OF A STROKE, BUT A NURSE MISTAKENLY PROGRAMMED THE MACHINE TO ADMINISTER THE MEDICATION FOR “11” MINUTES; THE ACTION SOUNDS IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE, NOT ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE (THIRD DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

Copyright © 2023 New York Appellate Digest, LLC
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

PLAINTIFF DID NOT HAVE STANDING TO CONTEST THE TOWN’S NEGATIVE DECLARATION... ALLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF A WITNESS’S GRAND JURY TESTIMONY AS A PRIOR...