It means you are exercising your 5th Amendment rights. That usually means you decline to be a witness against yourself. It states:
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
Actually it has nothing to do with math. "pleading your fifth" means that you are pleading your fifth amendment which states that you cannot be forced to testify against yourself. So if you are pleading your fifth, you are actually using your fifth amendment right.
As a brit, I took it that this refered to pleading the Fifth Amendment - ie. that they cannot be compelled to be a witness against themselves Pleading the Fifth means you refuse to testify under oath in a court of law because you feel your answers could be used against you.
It is the fifth amendment
Still innocent until proven guilty. Pleading the fifth means that you will say nothing at all in your defense or your admission of guilt. The burdon of proof lies on the prosecutor to prove your guilt. Pleading the fifth is usually used by a person that does not want to incriminate themselves or another. It does not mean that you are guilty or innocent, just that you don't feel your testamony would be in your best interest.
Pleading the Fifth Amendment in civil cases can have implications because it may be seen as an admission of guilt or wrongdoing by the court or jury. This could potentially harm your case and credibility. It is important to consult with a lawyer to understand the potential consequences of invoking the Fifth Amendment in a civil case.
entreating = pleading with, begging
As soon as he saw the broken window he began to look for the culprit.
A certificate is a document attached to a pleading certifying that the attorney properly served the pleading on the opposing party.
Pleading,
"Taking the fifth" or "pleading the fifth" means invoking the protection of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution--the one that guarantees us the right not to incriminate ourselves. As a witness on the witness stand in court, you can refuse to answer a question if you think the answer might put you in a bad spot with respect to the law. The Wikipedia article on the Fith Amendment (link below) says this: "The Fifth Amendment protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves. To 'plead the fifth' is a refusal to answer a question because the response could form self incriminating evidence."
It isnÕt clear how Hector responded to the pleading of his parents. Since we donÕt know who Hector is and why his parents were pleading with him and what they were pleading for.
to get a lesser jail / prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty.