Ernest Miranda

After hearing arguments in the Miranda v. Arizona case, the Supreme Court overturned Miranda's conviction on June 13, 1966. The landmark ruling confirmed that in order for a confession to be admissible in a court of law it must be given voluntarily. It was determined that Miranda had not been informed of his rights before he signed the confession. Chief Justice Warren wrote the Court ruling that outlined how law enforcement must handle defendant interrogations during an investigation. Fair interrogation procedures of crime suspects, while in police custody, had to begin with what became known as the Miranda Rights.

The Court did not specify the exact wording in its decision but did require that the warning must be given once an individual had been taken into custody before they are interrogated. Over time a simple version of the warning was printed on wallet-sized cards and distributed to police departments so the wording was consistent. It was later reported that Miranda kept copies of the cards in his wallet and would sign them for a fee.

The so-called Miranda Warning changed little over time. It became familiar to the public thanks to the numerous police and detective shows on television and in movies that used it in their scripts. The Miranda Warning included the following four rights: (1) you have the right to remain silent; (2) anything you say can and will be used against you in a court A copy of the Miranda Rights, a warning that all police officers must give people being arrested.

of law; (3) you have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning; and (4) if you can not afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at government expense.

The Supreme Court ruling was received with mixed reviews and became controversial. Some saw it as lending dignity to the suspect in the legal system and others saw it as weakening the ability of law enforcement to fight crime. Most saw it as an effort to strike a proper balance between the two.