Reply #15: Legally it means that you invoked your Fifth Amendment right not

[treestar]

to testify, and nothing else. It does not imply guilt. I believe that was the reason behind it, in fact. It is the background against which we can see that the government does not own us (we own it).

In a criminal case, it is impermissible to even mention it in jury argument. In a civil case, it can be used to make an "adverse inference" but that has to be weighted with any other factors indicating truthfulness.