Opinion ID: 1194109
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Privilege of Individuals

Text: Petitioners also argue that as suspects the privilege against self-incrimination militates against their having to respond to the command of the subpoena to appear before the grand jury. The law is so well settled adversely to the position of the petitioners that the citation of authority is not necessary. Furthermore, their contention that they cannot be compelled to testify is, under the state of the record, premature. None of the petitioners has been requested nor ordered to take the oath by the foreman of the grand jury. Crim.P. 6(c). The proper time to raise the Fifth Amendment privilege is when a question is propounded by the district attorney or by a juror which the witness believes might tend to incriminate him or furnish a link in a chain of evidence that might incriminate him. A witness before a grand jury cannot assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination by a blanket refusal to answer all questions put to him. Smaldone v. People, 158 Colo. 7, 405 P.2d 208 (1965), cert. denied, 382 U.S. 1012, 86 S.Ct. 616, 15 L.Ed.2d 527 (1966); Smaldone v. People, 158 Colo. 16, 404 P.2d 276 (1965); Smaldone v. People, 158 Colo. 21, 404 P.2d 279 (1965). When asked a specific question or series of questions, the answers to which he believes will tend to incriminate him, he may refuse to answer. If the grand jury or the district attorney persists, then the matter must be presented to the district court for a ruling pursuant to the procedure outlined in the series of Smaldone cases, supra. Also, see C.R.C.P. 107.