[randommodnar]

So do you think it's reasonable that contempt of court can carry a life sentence without even being convicted by a jury of your peers? Is contempt of court a worse crime than assault or manslaughter?

You have the right to not divulge information from your mind that would incriminate yourself. In the US this is called the 5th amendment.

[Natsu]

There's no jury because it's regarding acts that occurred in court, so it's simply not meaningful to have a jury decide the facts of the case when they happened right in front of the judge, who does not need anyone to figure out the veracity of what they just personally witnessed.

The alternative is that people have a right to stop the courts from functioning. Our interests in not having courts that can be easily thwarted probably does outweigh our interests in any single conviction.

It's only forever if you refuse to comply for that long. It is coercive. The justice system does not, because it cannot, ask you to comply. It forces you to comply and it does not take no for an answer or it would not function.

[koenigdavidmj]

Before you're given contempt for not divulging information you are given immunity from criminal charges as a result of that testimony.

[tanderson92]

Source? That is certainly not true in general.

[koenigdavidmj]

https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-780-di...

[spdustin]

As GP said, that's not true in general. Immunity is offered when the prosecution believes your testimony will result in further arrests or in prevention of future crimes. That circumstance is exceedingly rare outside of episodes of "24".