Garrity v. New Jersey
Supreme Court of the United States
385 U.S. 493 (1967)
Relevant factsFree
Garrity (defendant) and other public employees were questioned by the state Attorney General in a traffic-ticket-manipulation investigation; they were told they could refuse to answer self-incriminating questions but that doing so would cost them their jobs. The state supreme court held that this threat of termination did not violate their self-incrimination privilege, and the employees sought Supreme Court review.
IssueFree
Whether the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits using in criminal proceedings incriminating statements made by public employees under threat of losing their employment.