Nelson v. Holzman

300 F. Supp. 201, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8400
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedJanuary 23, 1969
DocketCiv. No. 68-609
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 300 F. Supp. 201 (Nelson v. Holzman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nelson v. Holzman, 300 F. Supp. 201, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8400 (D. Or. 1969).

Opinion

FINDINGS AND OPINION

KILKENNY, District Judge.

Petitioner Nelson (hereinafter called Nelson), upon refusing to answer questions in the armed robbery trial of his co-defendant, Woody Leon Beggs, in Multnomah County Circuit Court on November 4, 1965, was summarily sentenced to a term of five months imprisonment in the Multnomah County Jail, for contempt of court. Nelson was at that time serving a prison sentence arising out of that same armed robbery. On October 16, 1968, he was released from imprisonment for the robbery term and was surrendered to respondent Holzman for execution of the contempt sentence. He has exhausted his state remedies.

Nelson, Woody Leon Beggs, and two other defendants were indicted on a charge of armed robbery. Nelson plead guilty and was under sentence for armed robbery (another charge of assault with a dangerous weapon having been dismissed). He agreed to testify in the [202]*202jury trial of Woody Leon Beggs. At that trial, however, Nelson refused to answer questions relating to the robbery claiming the privilege against self-incrimination.

The trial was then interrupted for a hearing. Nelson claimed that he had agreed to testify only to get before the court to state that he had been mistreated in prison and had not received proper medical attention. After questioning him further, the judge found that the Fifth Amendment privilege did not apply to relieve Nelson of the duty to answer the questions asked. Nelson then stated that he withdrew his claim to a privileged refusal to testify on Fifth Amendment grounds. The judge ordered the jury returned. Once back on the stand in the presence of the jury, however, Nelson again refused to answer the same question — this time an absolute refusal without claim of privilege. The trial judge ordered Nelson to answer, warning him that he would be prosecuted for contempt of court if he continued in his refusal. Nelson still refused.

At a hearing during the noon recess, the judge for a third time asked Nelson if he still refused to testify. He refused. The judge thereupon held him in contempt of court under ORS

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Related

United States v. Ward
314 F. Supp. 261 (E.D. Louisiana, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
300 F. Supp. 201, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8400, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nelson-v-holzman-ord-1969.