# Murphy v. Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, 378 U.S. 52 (1964)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-murphy-v-waterfront-commission-378-us-52/

Witnesses at a Waterfront Commission hearing on a work stoppage at the Hoboken piers, granted state immunity, refuse to answer for fear of federal prosecution. The Supreme Court holds that the privilege against self-incrimination protects a state witness against incrimination under federal law.

Supreme Court of the United States, No. 138, argued March 5, 1964, decided June 15, 1964, opinion by Justice Goldberg. "Petitioners were subpoenaed to testify at a hearing conducted by the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor concerning a work stoppage at the Hoboken, New Jersey, piers." After they refused to answer on self-incrimination grounds, they were "granted immunity from prosecution under the laws of New Jersey and New York," and still refused, because the answers might incriminate them under federal law.

The Court held: "the constitutional privilege against self-incrimination protects a state witness against incrimination under federal as well as state law and a federal witness against incrimination under state as well as federal law." It rejected earlier decisions to the contrary and ruled that compelled state testimony and its fruits cannot be used against the witness in a federal prosecution.

The opinion does not describe the work stoppage beyond naming it. The rule was central to Gerardo Catena's later challenge to New Jersey's immunity statute ([449 F.2d 40](/items/courtlistener-catena-v-elias-449-f2d-40/)).

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/106864/murphy-v-waterfront-commission-of-new-york-harbor/