Commonwealth v. Neal

Griffiths, J.,

In this matter application was made to the court to remove a strand of de*366fendant’s hair to compare it with strands of hair found on masks and a jacket, found at the scenes of robberies. Objection has been raised by defendant that removal of hair from his head, contrary to his will, constitutes a violation of his rights granting him immunity from self-incrimination.

There was a time in English legal history when the common law permitted questions to be asked an accused. Late in the Sixteenth Century, primarily in opposition to methods used in ecclesiastical courts, there arose the…