“I Ain’t Testifying”: The Informant Who Refused the Oath

By Mrs. Eileen Hunter — about the author.

Christopher Wiggins never volunteered — investigators sought him out after he had shared an isolation cell with Tony Hunter. Called at trial, he refused to be sworn: “I ain’t testifying. I ain’t testifying.” The court admonished him — “Don’t act so stupid. You knew exactly where to go. You’ve been in the witness stand before” — told him he had no Fifth Amendment right to refuse, and ordered him held. He testified the next day. (R. 2086–2087; the Wiggins file.)

What the compelled testimony contained: a confession story naming the wrong weapons (“a .38 and a 9 millimeter” against a .22 in evidence). What Wiggins carried: five felony convictions including manslaughter, a life sentence if multi-billed — the State never billed him — and an admitted request to the DA’s office for leniency after being taken out of court. (R. 2131, 2135, 2139.)

The other half: compelled testimony is lawful, the jury heard all of it, and the conviction was affirmed. What the jury never heard came later — see the next chapter of his story below.