simple stupid ethics/psych question

[berticus]

how do lawyers juries and psychologists typically deal with people pleading the fifth? i'm really curious and just have no idea where to turn for answers. fk the library.

for example, the poll is asking how likely is a guy who responds to
"did you steal the money" with "i refuse to talk about it" to be guilty?

[Cantide]

I always thought the fifth amendment protected you from having to incriminate yourself in the courtroom. I would assume if you had nothing that was incriminating, you wouldn't have to take the fifth.

I guess on the other side of the coin is that lawyers are so good at manipulating the facts to their advantage, even if you didn't do anything wrong, they'd be able to twist your words and facts around to make it seem like you did commit a crime.

However, if someone pleads the fifth, I'd be inclined to think they are guilty of something. It might not be exactly what you are prosecuting them for but they are probably guilty of doing something else wrong. (I guess in your example the accused didn't steal the money but they did something to help the person that did actually steal it.)