Miranda v. Arizona

One of the countries largest and most well known cases still in use today is the case of Miranda v. Arizona. In 1963 a man named Ernesto Miranda was arrested in his home and convicted of rape and kidnap. The police questioned him for two and a half hours before he finally gave up, and signed a confession. Later, when he was convicted he revealed that he was unaware of his right to an attorney, or his right to avoid self-incrimination, because the police never informed him. Miranda brought his case to the court and eventually got his conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in 1966. Chief Justice, Earl Warren argued that police were violating the 5th amendment which states that nobody can be a witness to themselves. Warren also stated that in the situation that Miranda was in, it was intimidating, and he felt forced. After the decision, they could no longer use his confession as evidence in the case.  The decision was 5-4, a landmark case in American history, changing the way that the legal system works today. Now, when a police officer is taking someone into custody, they are obliged to read the person their rights,  known as the Miranda warning.