[quote=@Hound55]
<Snipped quote by Dedonus>

You don't ignore when someone pleads the 5th.  Obviously its borderline prejudicial to the jury in terms of how they view it... but it shouldn't be technically.  The 5th is just there so people can testify without incriminating themselves.  From a logical perspective it doesn't taint testimony... from an emotional sense it absolutely does.  And it's a legal trick for lawyers (on either side of the bench if it suits their case) to prod witnesses into taking the 5th (if possible repeatedly to belabour the point) in order to knock 'em out the box.

...I like my legal fiction (traces of which will likely come up in future seasons).
[/quote]

I know that Law & Order is only a television show, but I remember a show where a witness answered a few questions and then pled the 5th. Then the judge told the jury to disregard his whole testimony, even the parts he did not pled the 5th.