 An essay by Marcia Kiser Most Americans consider the framers of the Constitution of the U.S to be an unusually far-sighted individuals. After all, when embarking on the great experiment, they produced a document so all encompassing that it has survived over 200 years with only twenty-seven amendments. Unfortunately, many Americans still don't know they have the right to remain silent or the right to an attorney if they are being questioned by the police. And until 1963, the police did little, if anything, to inform the individual of these protections afforded by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In 1963 Ernesto Miranda, a seriously disturbed indigent Mexican with sexual fantasies, was accused of kidnapping and raping a mildly-retarded 18-year old woman. During questioning, Miranda was 'persuaded' to confess. At the trial, his lawyer sought to have the confession suppressed, and in 1968, the Supreme Court ruled the confession could not be used as Ernesto Miranda had not been informed of his rights. In reversing the decision of the lower court, the Supreme Court simultaneously reversed decisions on other cases with similar circumstances. The Supreme Court wrote in 1966, "[W]e sometimes forget how long it has taken to establish the privilege against self-incrimination, the sources from which it came and the fervor with which it was defended." The Court also handed what was to be included in the warning in the language of legalese. Thomas Lynch, then California Attorney General, called a meeting of the district attorneys in the state to discuss the new Miranda warning. Lynch selected Harold Berliner, then district attorney of Nevada County and an old family friend, and Doris Maier, a deputy attorney general of long standing, to write a concise, simple warning. Berliner wrote first, "You have the right to remain silent." He and Maier proceeded to outline the familiar warning known now as the Miranda warning. Berliner, with a background in publishing, took it a step farther, obtaining the addresses of every law enforcement agency in the country and sold thousands of his wallet-sized cards, resulting in today's consistency between the various law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. Chief Justice William Rehnquest stated in July 2000 when upholding the 1968 ruling, "Miranda has become embedded in routine police practice to the point where the warnings have become part of our national heritage." Recently, Berliner has revised the statement he prints to include "her" as appropriate, as in "You have to right to speak with an attorney and have him or 'her' present", showing that not even Miranda is written in stone. There are two forms of Miranda one simple and one to cover all contingences. The simpler version:
The longer, more complex Miranda:
A landmark court, a Supreme Court ruling, and a new procedure for police all to ensure American citizens are made aware of their inalienable rights as citizens. Unfortunately, those rights can still be trodded on by some police departments through out the country. And Ernesto Miranda, who lent his name to the warning? Although
many critics feared that crime would run rampant, that did not
prove to the be case, especially in Ernesto's. After his first
conviction was thrown out on the basis of his confession, he
was tried a second time and convicted of the kidnapping and rape.
He later died in a barroom brawl in 1976. | Trivia | Authors | Hall of Fame | Mystery Links | Bibliography | Glossary | Search | | What's New: On The Site | On the Street | Non-Fiction | Fiction | Staff | The P.I. Poll | "...and I'll tell you right out that I'm a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk."  Advertise on this site? Why the hell not? Check out our rates... |