Final answer:
The prosecutor must respect the defendant's right to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to testify, without implying guilt or highlighting this refusal to the jury. Therefore, none of the options provided is appropriate.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a defendant invokes the privilege against self-incrimination and refuses to testify at trial, the prosecutor must respect this constitutionally protected right. According to the Fifth Amendment, individuals have the right to refuse to answer questions if they believe their responses might lead to criminal prosecution.
This is commonly known as "taking the fifth." In the context of criminal trials, the prosecution is not allowed to comment on the defendant's failure to testify as a sign of guilt. As established by the Supreme Court, including the landmark Miranda v. Arizona case, the right against self-incrimination is a fundamental part of the U.S. legal system, and procedural safeguards must be in place to ensure this right is protected.
The correct answer to the question would be that the prosecutor should not highlight the refusal to the jury nor argue that the refusal implies guilt, as these actions would be violations of the defendant's constitutional rights. Therefore, options a) and b) are incorrect.
Requesting a mistrial, option c), would not be appropriate solely on the basis of the defendant exercising their constitutional rights. Thus, neither a), b), nor combination of a) and b), which is indicated by option d), is the appropriate response for the prosecutor. The duty of the prosecutor is to continue the trial without drawing attention to the defendant's refusal to testify.