The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a suspected Nazi collaborator could not invoke the Fifth Amendment’s right to remain silent to avoid foreign prosecution. The 7-2 ruling in the case of Aloyzas Balsys, an 85-year-old resident alien born in Lithuania and now living in Woodhaven, N.Y., means he would face a contempt citation if he continues to refuse to explain his activities in Europe during World War II. The ruling handed a victory to the Justice Department, which warned that extending the Fifth Amendment’s protection to foreign prosecution would hurt U.S. law enforcement efforts to thwart terrorists, drug smugglers and other international criminals.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
