Witness other than the defendant invoking the Fifth Amendment refers to instances in which a witness in a criminal trial invokes his or her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. This often occurs when a witness is asked to give testimony that could potentially incriminate himself or herself. It is important to note that witnesses other than the defendant are not afforded the same protections as the defendant. There are two main types of witness other than the defendant invoking the Fifth Amendment: voluntary and compelled. Voluntary invocation occurs when the witness voluntarily asserts his or her Fifth Amendment right without a court order. Compelled invocation is when the court orders a witness to invoke the Fifth Amendment in order to protect the witness from self-incrimination. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals from self-incrimination. As such, a witness other than the defendant can invoke the Fifth Amendment to refuse to answer questions that might incriminate themselves in a criminal trial. This is often done out of fear of possible criminal prosecution, or to protect oneself from civil liability.