United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Bellis v. United States, 417 U.S. 85 (1974)

Bellis v. United States

No. 73-190

Argued February 25, 1974

Decided May 28, 1974

417 U.S. 85

Syllabus

Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination held not available to member of dissolved law partnership who had been subpoenaed by a grand jury to produce the partnership's financial books and records, since the partnership, though small, had an institutional identity and petitioner held the records in a representative, not a personal, capacity. The privilege is "limited to its historic function of protecting only the natural individual from compulsory incrimination through his own testimony or personal records." United States v. White, 322 U. S. 694, 322 U. S. 701. Pp. 417 U. S. 87-101.

483 F.2d 961, affirmed.

MARSHALL, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J., and BRENNAN, STEWART, WHITE, BLACKMUN, POWELL, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined. DOUGLAS, J., filed a dissenting opinion, post, p. 417 U. S. 101.