We’ve all heard it countless times on television: an officer makes an arrest and says, “You have the right to remain silent…” This familiar statement refers to a person’s Miranda Rights, which were established by a Supreme Court ruling in 1966.
What Are Miranda Rights?
On June 13, 1966, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that when a person is taken into police custody, they must be informed of their Fifth Amendment rights before being questioned.
These rights include:
The right to remain silent
Anything said can be used in a court of law
The right to an attorney
The right to have an attorney appointed if one cannot be afforded
If a suspect is questioned without being informed of these rights, any statements made are generally considered involuntary. In many cases, those statements—and any evidence discovered as a result—may be excluded from court.
The Supreme Court Cases Behind Miranda Rights
The Miranda ruling was based on four separate cases involving suspects who were not informed of their rights.
Miranda v. Arizona
Miranda was arrested for kidnapping and rape. After two hours of questioning, he confessed and was sentenced to 20–30 years in prison.
Vignera v. New York
Vignera was arrested for robbery, confessed to police, and later repeated the confession to an assistant district attorney. He was sentenced to 30–60 years in prison.
Westover v. United States
Westover was arrested for multiple robberies and questioned until he confessed. He was sentenced to 15 years for each crime.
California v. Stewart
Stewart was arrested for purse-snatching that resulted in a victim’s death. After nine days of questioning, he confessed and was sentenced to death. His conviction was later overturned because he was not informed of his rights.
The Outcome of the Miranda Decision
The Supreme Court overturned the convictions in all four cases except Stewart’s, which was upheld. Miranda himself was retried without the confession or related evidence and was again convicted and sentenced to 20–30 years.
What Miranda Rights Really Mean
Miranda Rights are not the rights themselves, but the requirement that law enforcement inform suspects of their Fifth Amendment protections, particularly the right against self-incrimination.
This ruling remains one of the most important constitutional safeguards in the American criminal justice system and continues to protect individuals during custodial police questioning.