Doe v. United States

487 U.S. 201 (1988)

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Doe v. United States

United States Supreme Court
487 U.S. 201 (1988)

AR

Facts

John Doe, an unnamed defendant, was subpoenaed by a grand jury to produce records from three banks in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Doe produced some records and testified that no other records were in his possession. When questioned about additional records, Doe invoked the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. The grand jury then issued subpoenas to the banks, but the banks refused to comply because local laws prohibited disclosure of bank records without customer consent. The prosecution then asked the district court to order Doe to sign a form stating that he was “directing any bank at which I may have a bank account of any kind or at which a corporation has a bank account of any kind upon which I am authorized to draw” to deliver records to the grand jury. Doe refused to sign, and the district court held him in contempt. Doe appealed, and the court of appeals affirmed. Doe appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Blackmun, J.)

Dissent (Stevens, J.)

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