The first computer I used was an SDS Sigma 7, UCI, fall '69. First 'real' computer I owned: Osborne 1

A little over half a century ago, as a HS student, it was illegal and therefore "impossible" to get beer on Friday night, unless someone in your social group "just happened" to have an older brother, obviously a very rare situation.

doesn't seem to me we have very far to go, on the other hand failure to encrypt sensitive data sounds a lot like malpractice for an "investigative journalist"

Unfortunately, you are dead right. The "plea bargain" is used as the coercion lever to force an admission from a defendant in at least half of all prosecutions. Over 90% of all convictions today are via plea "bargains". Mostly by "over charging" in the first place. When charged with a felony punishable by life imprisonment, (or its functional equivalent, multiple, stack-able decades), and offered a "bargain" to plead "no contest" IE: ALFORD to a misdemeanor, or even a probationable felony you need to be almost suicidal to do otherwise, even if you are rich enough to take it to trial with a competent trial attorney, (costing in the six figure range). Given that most criminal defendants are necessarily represented by "public pretenders" this becomes a nobrainer.

To clarify: "At a criminal trial, it is not only the defendant who enjoys the Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Witnesses who are called to the witness stand can refuse to answer certain questions if answering would implicate them in any type of criminal activity (not limited to the case being tried)." THIS IS CORRECT

This is correct