Case Name: Ex parte Abraham Lindo
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1807-11
Citations: 1 Cranch 445
Docket Number: 
Parties: Ex parte Abraham Lindo.
Judges: (Duckett, J., absent,)
Reporter: Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (District of Columbia - reported by Mackey)
Volume: 1
Pages: 445–446

Head Matter:
Ex parte Abraham Lindo.
A -witness must answer whether he saw the defendant at a public gaming-table, inasmuch as the answer cannot criminate or tend to criminate 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 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 ; and Mr. Sivann, for the witness, cited 1 Morgan’s Essays, 438; 2 Hawk. e. 46, § 20, p. 609: 1 Atk. 539.

Opinion:
But the Court
(Duckett, J., absent,)
decided that he must answer, inasmuch as the answer could not criminate nor tend to criminate himself. Whereupon he submitted to answer.