Why did Issa dismiss Lerner instead of making her sit there and repeatedly invoke the Fifth to every question?
Issa should have asked her questions like, "If you have not done anything wrong, why do you need to plead the fifth, which protects you from self-incrimination?"
He should have grilled her, and made her marinate in the fact that she is lying.
She says one of the basic functions of the fifth amendment is to protect innocent individuals.
Look, I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think that is the purpose of asserting one's right not to incriminate oneself.
Having watched this now, I think Issa is showing himself to be incompetent.
2 comments:
The Fifth Amendment is asserted in any proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, judicial, investigatory, or adjudicatory. The Fifth Amendment protects against all disclosures where the witness reasonably believes the evidence can be used in a criminal prosecution and can lead to the spawning of other evidence that might be used against the individual.
The Fifth Amendment also guarantees the individual the right to refrain from self-incrimination by “pleading the fifth” to any questions or inquiries that may give way to an additional punishment or the notion of a guilty plea.
To me, it stands to protect the guilty, not the innocent.
Agree. It should have been all morning long. Not only that but by making, in effect, a plea while TESTIFYING in the midst of declaring innocence, she probably waved her rights.
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