plead

/ˈplēd/

Middle English plaiden, pleden "to contend legally, argue in court, bring suit, answer a charge," borrowed from Anglo-French plaider, pleider, pleder "to maintain (a plea), bring an action against" (also continental Old French), verbal derivative of plaid, plé "action at law, plea

verb

  1. to argue a case or cause in a court of law

  2. to make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding; especially : to answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts

  3. to conduct pleadings

idiomatic phrase

  1. to refuse to testify against oneself in a court of law in accordance with the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution : take the Fifth —often used figuratively

… appeared … for a deposition, but pled the Fifth dozens of times.

idiom

  1. to say that one knows nothing about something

When asked about the reasons for these drastic changes, she pleaded/pled ignorance.