True or False: A defendant who takes the witness stand maintains their Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination for any testimony provided.

The assertion that a defendant who takes the witness stand retains their Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination is false. Once a defendant chooses to testify in their own defense, they waive their right to plead the Fifth Amendment concerning the topics they address while on the stand. This means that the defendant can be compelled to answer questions about the very matters they choose to discuss.

The principle behind this is that by voluntarily choosing to testify, the defendant is making a strategic decision to provide their account of events, and therefore, cannot later invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid questions related to their testimony. However, it is essential to note that this waiver does not apply to issues that the defendant does not address. In other words, while the defendant cannot refuse to answer questions about the topics they have voluntarily testified about, they still maintain the right to invoke the Fifth Amendment concerning other issues that lie outside their testimony.

This legal principle aims to maintain the integrity of the judicial process, ensuring that defendants cannot selectively choose what to disclose while evading potential consequences for their testimony.