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United States v. Dionisio

Facts

A federal grand jury subpoenaed various individuals, including the defendant, to obtain voice exemplars to compare them to previously recorded conversations. The defendant refused to comply, claiming that providing the voice exemplars would violate his Fifth Amendment right to be free from compelled self-incrimination.

Issue

Whether compelling a defendant to provide voice exemplars violated the defendantโ€™s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination?

Held

No. The sound of a suspectโ€™s voice is not testimonial in nature and is not protected by the defendantโ€™s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Discussion

The privilege against self-incrimination โ€œoffers no protection against compulsion to submit to fingerprinting, photographing, or measurements, to write or speak for identification, to appear in court, to stand, to assume a stance, to walk, or to make a particular gesture.โ€ The privilege prohibits compelling communications or testimony. In this case the voice recordings were to be used solely to measure the physical properties of the witnessesโ€™ voice, not for the communicative content of what was said.

Citation

410 U.S. 1, 93 S. Ct. 764 (1973)

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