Question

A husband and wife have been charged in a string of robberies. The prosecutor wants to question one of the defendants on the stand, but he refuses to answer any questions. Every time she asks him a question about the robberies, he answers, “I plead the Fifth.” What does this mean?

He is refusing to incriminate himself during trial.

He is saying that his wife is solely responsible for the crimes.

He is implying that he is innocent of all charges.

He is communicating that he wants to plead guilty.

Answer 1

He is refusing to incriminate himself during trial.

Explanation: The purpose of "pleading the fifth" is to stop yourself from saying anything that could contradict your side of the story when you are testifying in court. Thus, if someone WERE to do this and get caught in a lie, this is called self-incrimination. Because the man refuses to answer any questions about the case, he is refusing to incriminate himself during trial.