Rule 940 To the extent that such privilege exists under the Constitution of the United States or the State of California, a person has a privilege to refuse to…

You have the right to stay silent if answering a question could get you in trouble with the law. This is commonly known as "pleading the Fifth," based on the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

This right applies in court and in other legal proceedings. If a question could lead to criminal charges against you, you can refuse to answer it. No one can force you to give information that might be used against you in a criminal case.