Opinion ID: 791728
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Right to Call Witness

Text: 34 Blaylock claims the most fatal trial error occurred when the trial court allowed Ehrmann to be excused from testifying. Blaylock intended to call Ehrmann as a defense witness and subpoenaed him. After considering the matter, Ehrmann invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to testify at trial. Blaylock never called Ehrmann as a witness or moved the district court to compel Ehrmann to testify. 35 We review for an abuse of discretion a district court's decision not to compel testimony after a witness has claimed a Fifth Amendment privilege. United States v. Washington, 318 F.3d 845, 856 (8th Cir.2003). Blaylock's challenge represents a conflict between his right to call Ehrmann as a witness in his defense and Ehrmann's right to avoid self-incrimination. It is well settled that an accused's right to compulsory process must yield to a witness's Fifth Amendment privilege not to give testimony that would tend to incriminate him or her. United States v. Habhab, 132 F.3d 410, 416 (8th Cir.1997). 36 The Self-Incrimination Clause of the Fifth Amendment guarantees that no person `shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.' Withrow v. Williams, 507 U.S. 680, 688, 113 S.Ct. 1745, 123 L.Ed.2d 407 (1993) (quoting U.S. Const. amend. V). Nothing in the Fifth Amendment, or in any other constitutional provision, provides a means for overcoming this privilege once a potential witness has invoked it. United States v. Moussaoui, 382 F.3d 453, 466 (4th Cir.2003). Blaylock's Sixth Amendment right to compulsory process does not include the right to compel Ehrmann or any other witness to waive his or her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. United States v. Bowling, 239 F.3d 973, 976 (8th Cir.2001); United States v. Robaina, 39 F.3d 858, 862 (8th Cir.1994) (citing Kastigar v. United States, 406 U.S. 441, 444, 92 S.Ct. 1653, 32 L.Ed.2d 212 (1972)). 37 Ehrmann did not want to subject himself to the government's cross-examination. He did not want to divulge his inculpatory post-arrest statements. Ehrmann's right to preserve his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination trumped Blaylock's right to compel him to testify. Accordingly, we find no error.