Roberts v. United States
United States Supreme Court
445 U.S. 552 (1980)
Roberts (defendant) voluntarily agreed to answer federal investigators' questions after being given Miranda warnings, admitted to delivering heroin and discussing related phone calls, but refused throughout the entire investigation to name his suppliers. After pleading guilty to using a telephone to facilitate a heroin delivery, the district court imposed a sentence based partly on that refusal to cooperate, and Roberts appealed, arguing the sentencing court improperly penalized his silence.
Whether it is error for a judge to consider a defendant's refusal to cooperate with the government in a sentencing determination when the defendant has not invoked the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.