United States (353 U. S. 657). the Supreme Court held. among other things. that. for purposes of discrediting Governments witnesses. defendants in Federal criminal prosecutions are entitled to inspect "all reports of Government witnesses in its possession touching the events and activities to which the witnesses testified at the trial." Conflicting interpretations by lower Federal courts as to the meaning of this statement and the necessity for a procedure which will be uniform throughout the Federal court system resulted in the introduction of legislation by several Members of Congress seeking to clarify the effect of this decision. The problem which arises from the above holding of the Supreme Court is the insistence of somealthough not alllower Federal courts that entire reports of FBI and other Federal investigative agencies. such as the Narcotics Bureau and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division of the Treasury Department. the Bureau of Immigration. the Defense Department. etc.. be handed over to defendants even though only a small part of the reports relates to the pertinent testimony of Government witnesses. Under such circumstances. it is possible for confidential Government files containing information relating to the public interest. welfare. safety. and otherwise. to be disclosed even though such confidential and vital information has no material bearing on the case. Such insistence could lead to broad and harmful expeditions among documents possessed by the Government for purposes which have no direct bearing on the criminal prosecution for which they have been ordered produced.
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Immigration