Miranda rights mugged

Orange County Register ^ | 3/30/11 | Editorial

[libertycause13]

No matter how grave the circumstances or dangerous the suspects, television detectives Joe Friday and Lennie Briscoe always remembered to do one thing as they slammed the perpetrator against the patrol car: Read him his Miranda rights. But, if new FBI guidelines are allowed to remain unchallenged, Americans' Miranda rights someday could become as fictional as the police dramas that popularized them.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal uncovered an FBI memo from October 2010 that encouraged its agents to interrogate terrorism suspects – making no distinction between citizens and noncitizens – without first informing them of their rights to have an attorney and against self-incrimination. As strong defenders of individual freedom, we are troubled by any new administrative policy that takes away individual liberty or undermines established court precedents for interrogation procedures.

Beginning last May, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department would seek legislation that would ask the courts to authorize a broader interpretation of the public-safety exception for questioning suspects. This exception allows for more lengthy and aggressive interrogations before notifying individuals of their rights.

[Gadsden1st]

I remember “Just the facts”, but don’t remember reading rights. Oldtimers must be creaping up.

[Raycpa]

to interrogate terrorism suspects – making no distinction between citizens and noncitizens – without first informing them of their rights to have an attorney and against self-incrimination.

Makes sense. We lose a conviction but we gain important life saving information. This policy does nothing to interfere with the suspects rights, it just means the FBI should be more concerned about getting the info than about getting a conviction.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

As long as the rights are still intact, and I’m honored in the exercise of them, I’ve no particular objection to not being officially informed of them.

[Sans-Culotte]

As long as the rights are still intact, and I’m honored in the exercise of them, I’ve no particular objection to not being officially informed of them.

I agree. I see no need to coach some perp into beating a rap.

[Oztrich Boy]

Dragnet ran 1951-59. Miranda v Arizona was 1966

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You still have your rights, the cops just aren't obligated to tell you what they are.

YouTube: Don't talk to police

[The_Pickle]

Any citizen that doesn't already know his Miranda Rights is either dumber than a box of rocks or hasn't been paying attention for the last 45 years..In either case, I agree that as long as these rights remain intact the notion that law enforcement should be obligated to spell out these rights to every POS criminal they apprehend is well past its "use by" date.

And just a question to ponder..if ignorance of the law is no excuse why is ignorance of your constitutionally protected rights a "get out of jail free card" if the arresting authority fails to "school" your dumb a$$?

[calex59]

The really older Dragnet episodes didn’t have the Miranda warning, Friday’s partner was played in the original by Henry Morgan, they didn’t give Miranda warnings because the ruling hadn’t been made. The later series had a different actor(I forget his name)playing the partner. The original series ran from 1951/52 until 1959. The late series which was in the late 60s had the miranda warnings in the script. So probably no “oldtimers” coming on for you, just the memory of the original series:).

[EvasiveManuever]

How does it work?

Do you ask for dinner first?

Or grease? KY?

Or do you just willingly offer your rump up to the State out of pure adoration?

Just curious.

[henkster]

Interesting story about “Miranda Rights.” They are called “Miranda Rights” after Ernesto Miranda, who killed a man for calling him “Mexican grease.” The police interrogated Miranda, and he admitted the crime. The case went before the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that before police question a person while in custody, certain advisements of rights must be given, followed by a waiver of those rights. So Ernesto Miranda’s conviction was reversed, but he was not allowed off scot-free.

His case was sent back for a new trial, with the only stipulation being that the State of Arizona could not use his statement to the police. There was plenty of other evidence, and Ernesto Miranda was sentenced to prison.

Some years later, Ernesto Miranda was released from prison, and found himself in another scrap, and this time he came out on the losing end by being killed. The police arrived on the scene and arrested the man who killed him. The first thing the police did with Ernesto Miranda’s killer...was to read him his Miranda rights.