Opinion ID: 2017264
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: how an ordinary witness may claim the privilege.

Text: An ordinary witness (one who is neither charged by affidavit nor the subject of the investigation, see B supra ) may not automatically assert his fifth amendment rights upon his arrival at the grand jury room. To do so would allow the privilege: ... [to] be put forward for a sentimental reason, or for a purely fanciful protection of the witness against an imaginary danger, and for the real purpose of securing immunity to some third person, who is interested in concealing the facts to which he would testify. Every good citizen is bound to aid in the enforcement of the law, and has no right to permit himself, under the pretext of shielding his own good name, to be made the tool of others, who are desirous of seeking shelter behind his privilege. Brown v. Walker, supra . Hence, an ordinary witness must be sworn and asked a question which he believes may incriminate him. At this point he may refuse to answer, claiming his constitutional privilege. The propriety of his refusal to testify must then be determined in a hearing before the court which has convened the grand jury. Since grand jury proceedings are by statute nonpublic in nature, and disclosure of such proceedings by a grand juror or a witness will subject him to penalties, and since the hearing is an adjunct to the grand jury proceedings, we require that the hearing be held in camera. In regard to the merits of the asserted privilege, the trial court is to be guided in its determination by the standards enunciated in United States v. Coffey, supra. In the case of a subpoena duces tecum directed to an ordinary witness, the inquiry will entail an examination of the documents by the court to determine whether the asserted privilege is well founded. If the trial court determines that the question is not criminating, then the witness must return to the grand jury and answer. If the trial court upholds the privilege, the following statute becomes relevant: Any witness, in any criminal proceeding, before a court or grand jury, who refuses to answer any question and/or produce any evidence of any kind on the ground that he may be incriminated thereby, may be ordered by the court to answer any question and/or produce any evidence upon a written request by the prosecuting attorney: Provided, That the witness shall be provided with timely notice and a separate hearing on the merits of the order. Unless the court finds that the issuance of the order would be clearly contrary to public interest, the witness shall comply with the order of the court. If, but for this section the witness would have been privileged to withhold the answer given or the evidence produced, he shall not be prosecuted or subjected to penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any answer given or evidence produced: Provided, further, That such immunity shall not be allowed in the case of any perjury, false swearing or contempt committed in answering, or failing to answer, or in producing, or failing to produce, evidence in accordance with the order of the court. IC 1971, 35-6-3-1, Ind. Ann. Stat. § 9-1601a. Under this statute, the prosecutor may secure the testimony or evidence protected by the constitutional privilege by extending to the witness an immunity which is coextensive with the privilege being relinquished. See Overman v. State (1923), 194 Ind. 483, 143 N.E. 604; accord Kastigar v. United States (1972), 406 U.S. 441, 92 S.Ct. 1653, 32 L.Ed.2d 212. The statute was adopted by the General Assembly in 1969, and is patterned after the Model State Witness Immunity Act, 9C Uniform Laws Ann. 206 (1957). In the comments to the model act, we find the following statement: The phrase `produce evidence of any other kind' is a revision of the frequently careless terminology used in immunity statutes to refer to evidence other than oral testimony. 9C Uniform Laws Ann. 189 (1957). The only modification which the General Assembly made with regard to the foregoing phrase was to insert the word any between produce and evidence  thus broadening the potential types of evidence of which production might be required. We believe the adoption of this act, as it relates to grand jury proceedings, evidences a clear legislative intent to facilitate the grand jury investigations authorized by statute.