The Miranda Decision

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The Miranda Decision

In 1966, the U. S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Miranda

v. Arizona. The Miranda decision was a departure from the established law in the area of

police interrogation. Prior to Miranda, a confession would be suppressed only if a court

determined it resulted from some actual coercion, threat, or promise. The Miranda

decision was intended to protect suspects of their 5th Amendment right of no

self-incrimination. The verdict of Miranda v. Arizona is an efficient way of informing

criminal suspects of their rights established by the Constitution, allowing un-Constitutional

confessions to be nullinvoid in the court of law. However, it does not enforce it well

enough. For example, a statement taken in violation of Miranda can be used for

impeachment purposes and deciding whether evidence derived from a Miranda violation is

admissible. Also, Miranda applies to undercover police interrogation and prior to routine

booking questions, protecting all suspect in American custody to be aware of their rights.

Next, it says that police may not continue to interrogate a suspect after he makes a request

for a lawyer.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on November 27, 1962, a young woman left the First

National Bank of Arizona after attending night classes. A male suspect robbed the woman

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of $8 at knife-point after forcing his way into her car. Four months later, the same suspect

abducted an 18-year-old girl at knife-point and, after tying her hands and feet, drove to a

secluded area of the desert and raped her. On March 13, 1963, police arrested

23-year-old Ernesto Arthur Miranda as a suspect in the two crimes. Miranda had a prior

arrest record for armed robbery and a juvenil...

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The Supreme Court has practically abandoned the underlying principle of the

Miranda decision, that custodial police interrogation is inherently coercive, and has carved

out many exceptions to the Miranda exclusionary rule. Consequently, a violation of the

Miranda ruling does not necessarily mean that the resulting statement will be inadmissible.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the Miranda warnings are not constitutionally

required but are only prophylactic rules designed to protect a suspect's right against

compelled self-incrimination. Voluntariness remains the constitutional standard that must

be met when obtaining a statement from a suspect. Nonetheless, law enforcement

agencies should consult with legal counsel to ensure that investigative practices conform

to the requirements set forth by the Supreme Court in Miranda and other precedent.

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