Show Self Incrimination Rule Is an Aid to Evil Doers No UNo person shall be compelled compelled com In any criminal case to be a witness a against himself So reads the first amendment to the United States Constitution Similar Simi lar language embodying the same rule Is found In the constitution of ot every crery state except New Jerse Jersey and Iowa where nevertheless the thc principle Is held to be applicable In thousands s of ot cases the rule has bas been Invoked by criminals to esc escape escape es es- es- es c cape pe Just punishment ent for their mis mis- deeds Writing In the Journal of at the American Judicature Society an authority says It t was adopted by bythe bythe bythe the English parliament In the Seventeenth Sev century to offset persecutions persecutions lions of at Innocent of-Innocent Innocent persons by the process of ot Investigation and Inqui InquI- This process borrowed from the old Roman Homan lu law w was used by English ecclesiastical courts In furtherance of ot their selfish pur pur- poses Frequently persons who refused to testify against themselves themselves them them- selves were put to torture until their resistance nce was broken Althon Although h the special conditions giving rise to the rule have lon long since disappeared It remains deeply deep deep- ly rooted In n modern American law Uw |