Inmunidad para testigos en procedimientos judiciales

Explicación Simple

Si alguien es llamado a testificar en un juicio y teme que lo que diga lo incrimine, puede pedir protección. Sin embargo, si se le ordena testificar, no puede negarse y lo que diga no puede ser usado en su contra, excepto si miente.

Es como si un estudiante se negara a hablar en clase por miedo a que lo reprendan, pero el maestro le dice que debe compartir su opinión. Si el estudiante habla, no le pueden castigar por lo que dijo, a menos que haya mentido.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Juan es testigo de un robo. Cuando lo llaman a declarar, teme que su testimonio pueda implicarlo en algo. Si el juez le ordena que hable, no puede negarse y lo que diga no puede ser usado en su contra, salvo si se descubre que mintió en su declaración.

Penalidades

Null

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

§ 15A-1051. Immunity; general provisions. (a) A witness who asserts his privilege against self-incrimination in a hearing or proceeding in court or before a grand jury of North Carolina may be ordered to testify or produce other information as provided in this Article. He may not thereafter be excused from testifying or producing other information on the ground that his testimony or other information required of him may tend to incriminate him. Except as provided in G.S. 15A-623(h), no testimony or other information so compelled, or any information directly or indirectly derived from the testimony or other information, may be used against the witness in a criminal case, except a prosecution for perjury or contempt arising from a failure to comply with an order of the court. In the event of a prosecution of the witness he shall be entitled to a record of his testimony. (b) An order to testify or produce other information authorized by this Article may be issued prior to the witness's assertion of his privilege against self-incrimination, but the order is not effective until the witness asserts his privilege against self-incrimination and the person presiding over the inquiry communicates the order to him. (c) As used in this Article, "other information" includes any book, paper, document, record, recordation, tangible object, or other material. (1973, c. 1286, s. 1; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 843, s. 4; 1991, c. 636, s. 3.)