The 5th Amendment protects a person from being compelled to be a witness against oneself in a criminal case.The Fifth amendment is actually a part of the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution. By pleading the Fifth Amendment in the court of law, a person can always avoid questions that could directly effect him in the case and get away without being penalized. This is the Amendment due to which an officer is compelled to tell the arrested person that anything he says or does could be used against him or her in the court of law.