You cannot be forced to testify against yourself in court. This is a protection guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. This amendment protects us in other ways as well. It says that a person cannot be tried for a serious crime unless a grand jury, after research and consideration, believes there is enough evidence to actually bring the accused person to trial. Additionally, it says that a person who has gone to trial and been found innocent of a crime cannot be tried again for the same crime.The Fifth Amendment also protects us by guaranteeing “due process of law” if we are accused of a crime; it prevents the government from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without a fair procedure to determine guilt or innocence.
