State Ex Rel. Newspapers, Inc. v. Circuit Court for Milwaukee County

We conclude that pursuant to sec. 256.14, Stats., 2 an order by a judge to compel a witness in a John Doe proceeding to testify or produce books, papers or documents, after refusal to testify or produce such evidence on the ground of self-incrimination, must be done in open court. We also conclude that Mary Zahn has standing under sec. 256.14 to raise the issue as a citizen and member of the public.

Three times in the past twelve years this court has had occasion to pass on the nature of immunity hearings in John Doe proceedings. State ex rel. Jackson v. Coffey (1963), 18 Wis. 2d 629, 118 N.…