Miranda v. Arizona

In June 13, 1996, the Supreme Court of the United States decides on landmark case Miranda v. Arizona, granting any suspects right to be read Miranda Warning. This case started in 1963, when Ernesto Miranda was arrested at his home in Phoenix, Arizona, with charges of kidnapping and rape. He was interrogated for two hours and signed a confession. Largely based on his confession, he was convicted of his charges. However, Miranda appealed, claiming that his confession was invalid because it was coerced and because the police never advised him of his right to an attorney or his right to avoid self-incrimination.

The Supreme Court of U.S. overturned Miranda's conviction, because police must inform criminal suspects of their legal rights at the time of arrest and may not interrogate suspects who invoke their rights. The legal reason of the court was that Fifth Amendment, which guarantees that an accused person cannot be forced "to be a witness against himself" or herself. Chief Justice Earl Warren who delivered the majority opinion asserted that under the intimidating situation of interrogating, what suspect states can't trubly be of his free choice.




This became the landmark case because it made everyone to be treated with respect by their government, and it protected rights of suspect to ensure that innocent people are not punished.

- Deukkwon Yoon, E