Opinion ID: 1060373
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 24

Heading: Fifth Amendment Rights of Jack Charles Blankenship

Text: Prior to the re-sentencing hearing, defense counsel obtained a writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum to bring Jack Charles Blankenship to Memphis to testify. Upon arriving in Memphis, Blankenship consulted with his attorney and was advised to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. At the re-sentencing hearing, Blankenship invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege upon being called to the stand. The trial court found that Blankenship's Fifth Amendment privilege had expired in the present case because his conviction for his criminal involvement in Watkins' murder was final and he was not subject to further prosecution. As such, the court ordered Blankenship to testify. Blankenship proceeded to testify, corroborating the testimony of Terry Casteel and recanting his previous testimony which exculpated the Appellant. The Appellant now contends that the court unconstitutionally compelled Blankenship's testimony. A criminal defendant lacks standing to complain of the violation of a third party's Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. See, e.g., United States v. Tribunella, 749 F.2d 104, 106 n. 1 (2d Cir.1984); United States v. Minor, 398 F.2d 511, 513 (2d Cir.1968); People v. Jenkins, 22 Cal.4th 900, 95 Cal.Rptr.2d 377, 997 P.2d 1044, 1089 (2000), petition for writ of cert. filed, (Oct. 24, 2000); People v. Homes, 274 Ill.App.3d 612, 211 Ill.Dec. 200, 654 N.E.2d 662, 668 (1995). The Fifth Amendment privilege is personal and cannot be vicariously asserted. Rogers v. United States, 340 U.S. 367, 371, 71 S.Ct. 438, 95 L.Ed. 344, reh'g denied, 341 U.S. 912, 71 S.Ct. 619, 95 L.Ed. 1348 (1951). The Appellant was not compelled to testify; Blankenship was. Only Blankenship, and not the Appellant, may assert a violation of the privilege. Whatever the merit of the Appellant's claim may be, the Appellant has no standing to assert the alleged violation of the Fifth Amendment privilege of Blankenship. Accordingly, we need not address the merits of the Appellant's complaint.