| Show self incrimination on rule Is 13 an aid to evildoers evil doers no person shall be compelled to any criminal case to be a witness against himself so reads the first amendment to the united states constitution similar language embodying the same rule Is found in tile the constitution of every state except new jersey and iowa where nevertheless the principle Is 13 held to be applicable in thousands of cases the rule has been invoked by criminals to escape just punishment for their misdeeds writing in the journal of the american judicature society a an 0 authority says it was adopted by k the english parliament in the seventeenth entee nth century to offset eions of innocent persons by the process or of investigation and inquisition this process borrowed from the old roman law was used by english ecclesiastical courts in furtherance of their selfish purposes frequently persons who refused to testify against themselves were put to torture until their resistance was broken although Althou 0 the special conditions giving rise to the rule have ham lone on since disappeared it remains deeply rooted In modern american america n law A |
