The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution was passed in 1971 as part of the Bill of Rights, aiming to regulate criminal processes. It is applicable to every public administration office (at the federal, state or local levels), enterprise, association or individual in the United States.
Among other provisions, it contains protections against several manners of self-incrimination, such as the right of defendants of not not serving as a witness in the criminal case in which they are accused of a crime. Therefore, defendants are able to refuse to participate if they believe that answers to the questions that arise during the procedure can incriminate them.
