Essay On Miranda Rights

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As citizens of America, we are granted numerous rights in court. Before a suspect is arrested, the police officer recites the familiar, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.” Anyone who has watched a crime show has memorized or at least heard these lines with little knowledge on the origin of them.
Although these lines, also known as the Miranda Rights, were created beforehand, they were put in effect in 1966 during the famous Miranda v. Arizona case. This controversial case was said to have a false confession because Miranda was not informed his rights. The ruling of this case continues to play a major role on the new justice system.
On March 3, 1963, an 18 year old girl in Phoenix, Arizona was kidnapped and raped on her way home from work. The woman was then dropped off near her house. This woman went to the police describing a Mexican man in his late 20’s, wearing glasses and a t-shirt, driving an old Ford or Chevrolet. The witness and her brother-in-law identified the exact 1963 Ford Packard which they believed to be the car. The car was registered to Twila N. Hoffman as well as Ernesto Miranda. According to the article entitled “MIRANDA VS ARIZONA: THE CRIME THAT CHANGED AMERICAN JUSTICE,” it is stated “Almost immediately after arriving at the headquarters, Cooley and Young put Ernest Miranda into a lineup with three other Mexican-Americans from the city jail who approximately matched his physical appearance. Miranda was the only man who wore a shirt that allowed viewers to see his tattooed arms.” This lineup was already partial, as it allowed the eyewitnes...

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... case, Nunez was not charged with murder because he was not properly informed of his Miranda Rights. It is now part of a police officer’s procedure to read a suspect their rights to prevent cases from dropping.
In conclusion, as citizens of America, we are granted numerous rights in court. According to the Miranda laws, a person has the, “Right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.” A person must be fully aware of their rights in order to have a fair case in court. These rights come from the famous Miranda v. Arizona case. In this case the perpetrator, Ernesto Miranda, was not informed of his rights, therefore his confession was inadmissible. This is widely shown through various cases throughout the new justice system.

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