The Miranda Rule is a legal term that requires police officers to inform suspects of their constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. The correct pronunciation of "Miranda" is /məˈrændə/, with stress on the second syllable. The word is spelled with two syllables: "mir" and "an-da", with the letter "i" being pronounced as a short "i" and the letter "a" pronounced as a schwa. The phonetic transcription is /məˈrændə/. The Miranda Rule was established in a landmark Supreme Court case in 1966, Miranda v. Arizona.
The Miranda Rule is a legal principle designed to protect an individual's Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination during police interrogations. It derives its name from the landmark United States Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona (1966), wherein the court established guidelines for law enforcement officers to adhere to when taking a suspect into custody and questioning them.
The Miranda Rule requires police officers to inform a suspect of their rights, commonly referred to as Miranda rights or warnings, before conducting any custodial interrogation. These rights typically include the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and the warning that anything said can and will be used against them in a court of law. The purpose of these warnings is to ensure that the suspect is aware of their constitutional rights and can make an informed decision regarding whether to speak to law enforcement.
If a suspect is not properly read their Miranda rights and subsequently makes incriminating statements during a custodial interrogation, those statements may be excluded as evidence during a criminal trial. The rule aims to protect individuals from providing self-incriminating information when they are not aware of their rights or are coerced into speaking against their own interests. Its goal is to uphold the fundamental principle that no person should be compelled to be a witness against themselves.
Overall, the Miranda Rule operates as a safeguard against coerced confessions, encouraging police officers to respect the constitutional rights of individuals in their custody and ensuring fair treatment during the criminal justice process.
The term "Miranda Rule" derives from the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona (1966). The case involved the arrest of Ernesto Miranda, who was charged with kidnapping and rape. During interrogation by the police, Miranda had confessed to the crimes without being informed of his constitutional rights. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, where it was decided in favor of Miranda. The court held that the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution protects individuals from self-incrimination and that suspects must be informed of their rights before being interrogated. The ruling mandated that the police must read a person their "Miranda rights" before custodial questioning, which includes the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, etc. Consequently, the term "Miranda Rule" emerged to refer to the legal requirement established by the court's decision.