United States v. Gondolfo Miranti, United States of America v. Domenico Bando

CLARK, Chief Judge.

Defendants appeal from convictions of contempt of court, 18 U.S.C. § 401, for refusing to comply with district court orders to answer certain questions before a grand jury. They persisted in their refusal before the district court, which sentenced them each to five years in prison after summary proceedings under Fed.Rules Crim.Proc., rule 42(a). Both defendants invoked the privilege against self-incrimination to justify their silence, but the trial judge found that the answers would not be incriminatory and that the defendants actually sought to protect others by their…