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45 votes
45 votes
When a prisoner pleads the Fifth (5th), what does that mean?

A. He/She does not want to testify against him/herself
B. He/She does not want a lawyer
C. He/She is allowed to speak to the judge
D. He/She does not want to go on trial

User Loolooii
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2 Answers

23 votes
23 votes

The correct answer is A.

“The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that no person “shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” U.S. Const. amend. V.” United States v. Von Behren, 822 F.3d 1139, 1144 (10th Cir. 2016). "It has long been held that this prohibition not only permits a person to refuse to testify against himself at a criminal trial in which he is a defendant, but also 'privileges him not to answer official questions put to him in any other proceeding, civil or criminal, formal or informal, where the answers might incriminate him in future criminal proceedings.'" Minnesota v. Murphy, 465 U.S. 420, 426 (1984) (quoting Lefkowitz v. Turley, 414 U.S. 70, 77 (1973)).

User Christian Loris
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2.4k points
10 votes
10 votes

Answer:

A. He/She does not want to testify against him/herself

Step-by-step explanation:

User Poulad
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3.0k points