Case Name: Ex parte LINDO
Court: United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1807-11
Citations: 15 F. Cas. 556
Docket Number: 
Parties: Ex parte LINDO.
Judges: (DUCKETT, Circuit Judge, absent)
Reporter: Federal Cases
Volume: 15
Pages: 556–556

Head Matter:
Case No. 8,364.
Ex parte LINDO.
[1 Cranch, C. C. 445.]
Circuit Court, District of Columbia.
Nov. Term, 1807.
Witness — Ansvch Tending to Criminate.
A witness must answer whether he saw the defendant at a public gaming-table, inasmuch as the answer cannot criminate or tend to crim inate the witness himself.
Rule to show cause why an attachment of contempt should not issue against a witness for not answering this question by the grand jury, “Did you within the last three months, see Richard Lewis play at any public gaming-table within the county of Alexandria?”
The witness [Abraham Lindo] objects that it may tend to criminate himself, by showing that he was present at a public gaming-table, and may induce Lewis to prosecute him.
Mr. Swann, for the witness,
cited 1 Morgan, Essays, 43S; 2 Hawk. p. 609, c. 46, § 20; 1 Atk. 539.

Opinion:
But
THE COURT
(DUCKETT, Circuit Judge, absent)
decided that he must answer, inasmuch as the answer could not criminate nor tend to criminate himself. Whereupon he submitted to answer.