Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Court: Silence Can Be Used Against Suspects
AP ^ | Aug 15, 2014 | PAUL ELIAS

Posted on 08/15/2014 3:47:36 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar

The California Supreme Court has ruled that the silence of suspects can be used against them.

Wading into a legally tangled vehicular manslaughter case, a sharply divided high court on Thursday effectively reinstated the felony conviction of a man accused in a 2007 San Francisco Bay Area crash that left an 8-year-old girl dead and her sister and mother injured.

Richard Tom was sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter after authorities said he was speeding and slammed into another vehicle at a Redwood City intersection.

Prosecutors repeatedly told jurors during the trial that Tom's failure to ask about the victims immediately after the crash but before police read him his so-called Miranda rights showed his guilt.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: california; richardtom
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 301-306 next last
To: P-Marlowe

And if he had said something like “I’m sorry this happened”?
Bingo, admission of guilt or empathy for those injured without reference to the cause.

My late mother told me never talk to the police without a lawyer and she was a judge.


81 posted on 08/15/2014 6:09:06 PM PDT by glyptol
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: eyeamok
Why do we have trials anyway??

The same reason that the TX NG is being deployed to the border: appearance.

82 posted on 08/15/2014 6:11:11 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz

My pleasure, Laz.

Salinas v. Texas
Docket: 12-246.
Opinion: June 17th, 2013.

Holding: When petitioner had not yet been placed in custody or received Miranda warnings, and voluntarily responded to some questions by police about a murder, the prosecution’s use of his silence in response to another question as evidence of his guilty at trial did not violate the Fifth Amendment because petitioner failed to expressly invoke his privilege not to incriminate himself in response to the officer’s question.

Judgment: Affirmed, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Alito on June 17, 2013. Justice Thomas, joined by Justice Scalia, concurred only in the judgment. Justice Breyer filed a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Ginsburg, Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Kagan.


83 posted on 08/15/2014 6:13:58 PM PDT by CodeToad (Romney is a raisin cookie looking for chocolate chip cookie votes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: sten
Never talk to the police
84 posted on 08/15/2014 6:14:07 PM PDT by antidisestablishment (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: OneWingedShark

Please see my post #83.


85 posted on 08/15/2014 6:15:14 PM PDT by CodeToad (Romney is a raisin cookie looking for chocolate chip cookie votes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: Lurking Libertarian
It should end up in the Supreme. The Judge made a horrible mistake by ignoring the mans rights regardless of the Miranda. Appeal will set him free.
And you can outright guarantee that anything you say before Miranda
absolutely will be held against you. And all Gov officials involved will lie.
They absolutely will lie. That's a solid guarantee.

When I've encounter officers I ask one question, ""Am I obligated by law
to answer your questions?"" They always say no and I thank them for their advice.

Constitution protection isn't just for talking, it's also for not talking.

86 posted on 08/15/2014 6:15:45 PM PDT by MaxMax (Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz

P.S. You know I just gotta maintain at least a 23.67% accuracy rating! :)


87 posted on 08/15/2014 6:17:49 PM PDT by CodeToad (Romney is a raisin cookie looking for chocolate chip cookie votes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne

Your are with good company ....

” Justice Breyer filed a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Ginsburg, Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Kagan.”


88 posted on 08/15/2014 6:18:28 PM PDT by TexasGator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: TexasGator; Lazmataz; xzins

It would appear that most of the Freepers on this thread are in judicial communion with Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan.


89 posted on 08/15/2014 6:26:13 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: eyeamok

You forgot to add in overcharging, then plea bargaining.


90 posted on 08/15/2014 6:30:02 PM PDT by Scrambler Bob (/s /s /s /s /s, my replies are "liberally" sprinkled with them behind every word and letter.!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: CodeToad
Thank you.
:(
91 posted on 08/15/2014 6:40:36 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: OneWingedShark

Yer welcome. Sadly, the case does exist.


92 posted on 08/15/2014 6:42:49 PM PDT by CodeToad (Romney is a raisin cookie looking for chocolate chip cookie votes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 91 | View Replies]

To: sten

Terrible verdict. What about stunned silence? What about shock?


93 posted on 08/15/2014 6:50:27 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: xzins

What is the CID?


94 posted on 08/15/2014 7:16:30 PM PDT by tbw2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Jet Jaguar

He should of requested to be read his Miranda rights.


95 posted on 08/15/2014 7:39:40 PM PDT by headstamp 2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MaxMax; glyptol; Lazamataz; RetiredTexasVet; Age of Reason; xzins; HartleyMBaldwin; Talisker
The Judge made a horrible mistake by ignoring the mans rights regardless of the Miranda.

Here is the text of the Fifth Amendment.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation

Can you explain to me how the judge violated this guy's fifth amendment rights when he allowed the jury to consider his silence in the face of the fact that he had just killed an 8 year old girl as evidence of his state of mind at the time of the accident?

Are you perhaps reading something into that amendment that isn't really there?

96 posted on 08/15/2014 7:40:45 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe

Silence is not “evidence” except with His Arrogance and Eric “The Corrupt” Holder or other supporters of communism.


97 posted on 08/15/2014 7:46:03 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (The IRS, HHS, EPA, etc. would have saved the E-mails if they thought the court orders were serious.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: RetiredTexasVet

Tell that to Scalia, Thomas and Alito.

You do realize that you are in agreement with Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan and Ginsberg?

Now, where in the text of the Fifth Amendment does it say that the judge could not allow the jury to hear about his callous silence as an indicator of his state of mind at the time of the accident?


98 posted on 08/15/2014 7:53:00 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: headstamp 2
He should of requested to be read his Miranda rights.

If he knows about his so-called "Miranda rights" why would he request that they be read to him?

99 posted on 08/15/2014 7:54:16 PM PDT by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 95 | View Replies]

To: Jet Jaguar
Court: Silence Can Be Used Against Suspects

[eyeroll]

100 posted on 08/15/2014 7:54:38 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 301-306 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson