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Constitutional Law - Power Of Congress To Punish For Contempt - Power To Punish For Completed Acts

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner was attorney for certain air lines and during the course of the "Air Mail" contracts investigation in the Senate in 1934 was ordered to produce certain correspondence. He delayed, claiming an attorney's privileges, and either he or his partner allowed clients to remove certain of the papers asked for from his files. Some of the papers were later returned by the clients, and others were destroyed. Petitioner was committed for contempt of the Senate and brought habeas corpus proceedings. Held, (1) neither the fact that an obstruction of legislative process has been removed or that its removal has …