Can a witness invoke fifth amendment privilege in a criminal case?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from Perez v. Jones, 935 F.2d 480 (2nd Cir. 1991):

A witness' invocation of his fifth amendment privilege may deny a defendant due process of law when the prosecutor commits misconduct by making a conscious and flagrant attempt to build its case out of inferences arising from use of the testimonial privilege and when, in the circumstances of a given case, inferences from a witness' refusal to answer adds critical weight to the prosecution's case. See Rado v. Connecticut, 607 F.2d 572, 581 (2d Cir.1979) (citing Namet v. United States, 373 U.S. 179, 83 S.Ct. 1151, 10 L.Ed.2d 278 (1963)), cert. denied, 447 U.S. 920, 100 S.Ct. 3009, 65 L.Ed.2d 1112 (1980); see also United States v. Casamento, 887 F.2d 1141, 1186 (2d Cir.1989), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 1138, 107 L.Ed.2d 1043 (1990).

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