The Creation of Miranda Rights

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The Creation of Miranda Rights

The constitution was designed to have basic laws to govern by and at the same time providing citizens with the basic rights of life, liberty and happiness ( which later became property). These terms are pretty vague thus they often need to be given specific meaning or interpretation in a courtroom. The constitution also includes a set of amendments that are called the bill of rights, because they mainly deal with rights of he “people” and citizens of the United States.

The fifth and sixth amendments protect the mentioned rights, specially of those being held in custody of the authorities. The fifth amendment states that “No person shall be…compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The sixth states that “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining” (Bill of Rights, 1791)

In 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona for armed robbery, and for kidnapping and raping a mentally challenged 18-year-old woman. He already had a record for armed robbery, and juvenile record including attempted rape, assault, and burglary. While in police custody he signed a written confession to the crime. After the conviction, his lawyers appealed, on the grounds that Miranda did not know he was protected from self-incrimination. This was the beginnin...

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...y controversial ruling since some say that the methods in which police officers collect the evidence should not matter if the evidence proves culpability. However the bill of rights protect all individuals even those that presumably have committed crimes. If the rights of an arrested suspects are violated in such way and he/she is not even aware of it, then the laws are going against all the freedom this country stands for. It would also give the go-ahead to other violations such as torture. The Miranda Ruling did not send Ernesto Miranda free he was still re-tried and convicted of the crime he had indeed committed.

Bibliography:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Feinman, Jay F., 2001 LAW 101: Everything you need to know about

American Legal System.

http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trr038.html

Wilson And Dililio, 2001, The American Government

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