Watkins v. United States

SCOTUSCase
Litigants=Watkins v. United States
ArgueDate=March 7
ArgueYear=1957
DecideDate=June 17
DecideYear=1957
FullName=John Watkins v. United States
Citation=77 S. Ct. 1173; 1 L. Ed. 2d 1273; 1957 U.S. LEXIS 1558; 76 Ohio L. Abs. 225
USVol=354
USPage=178
Prior=Cert. to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Subsequent=
Holding=Watkins was convicted unconstitutionally, as he was not allowed fair process to determine whether he could refuse to answer questions posed as a witness, by a committee.
SCOTUS=1957-1958
Majority=Warren
JoinMajority=Black, Frankfurter, Douglas, Harlan, Brennan
Dissent=Clark
NotParticipating=Burton and Whittaker

"Watkins v. United States", 354 U.S. 178 (1957), was brought forward after John Watkins was convicted under UnitedStatesCode|2|192, for failing to answer questions while posed as a witness relating to people he may have known to be communist. Under a committee of the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities, Watkins stated he did not wish to answer these questions, as they were outside of the scope he had been called upon, and of the committee.

2 U.S.C. 192 states it is an offense for a witness to refuse to answer question "pertinent to the question under inquiry." Watkins claimed he had not been given sufficient time to ascertain whether he could refuse questions or not; thus branding his conviction unlawful. As a result of the appeal, a panel decided 6-1 to overturn Watkins' conviction. Chief Justice Earl Warren supported Watkins' views, saying that the power of the United States Congress is not unlimited in conducting investigations, and that there was no authority given to expose individuals' private affairs.

ee also

*List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 354

External links

* [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=354&invol=178 John Watkins v. United States 354 U.S. 178 (1957), FindLaw]