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Going with the safe analogy given reasonable suspicion and a court order its clearly within the governments powers to say drill the safe, it MIGHT be in the governments power to force the individual to open it depending on how they see it. It is hard to see how a 3rd party not involved in the crime ought to be compelled to work on the governments behalf just because they happen to have made the original safe and possess the know how to break into it.

Can you explain how that duty comes to be?




Because not stepping up when asked to perform such a task opens you to obstruction of justice charges. Is a building super somehow not compelled to open a door in a building if they have the key and the agents of the government present a valid warrant? When they have a warrant you do not get to decide if you think what they ask for is justified, that ship has sailed already. You get the choice of do as asked, or potentially go to jail while your legal team tries to have the warrant quashed or at least your involvement in same. Best of luck on that...

And since you asked, I would bet that most of the people sitting on a jury deciding if you go to jail or not for impeding the execution of the warrant probably think that your duty to act in such a situation is considered a part of the price of admission to civil society.




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