United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Sacher v. United States, 356 U.S. 576 (1958)

Sacher v. United States

No. 828

Decided May 19, 1958

356 U.S. 576

Syllabus

Petitioner was convicted of violating 2 U.S.C. § 192 by failing to answer three questions put to him by a subcommittee of the Internal Security Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and his conviction was sustained by a divided Court of Appeals.

Held: his refusal to answer related to questions not clearly pertinent to the subject on which the two-member subcommittee conducting the hearing had been authorized to take testimony. Therefore, the conditions necessary to sustain a conviction for deliberately refusing to answer questions pertinent to the authorized subject matter of a congressional hearing were wanting. Certiorari is granted, and the judgment is reversed. Watkins v. United States, 354 U. S. 178. Pp. 356 U. S. 576-578.

102 U.S.App.D.C. 264, 252 F.2d 828, reversed and remanded.