What Is the Definition of the Miranda Doctrine?
The Miranda doctrine, more typically referred to as “Miranda rights,” is a set of rights applicable to police detainees under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Miranda rights were established in the Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona. Miranda rights are the basis of police procedure for the detention of suspects.
Police must grant a citizen in custody his Miranda rights. According to Cornell University Legal Information Institute, these rights include the right to remain silent and to have access to an attorney, court-appointed if need be. If a suspect does not receive a Miranda warning, certain evidence is inadmissible in court unless the suspect has waived his Miranda rights. The Supreme Court has issued revisions on the Miranda doctrine to qualify instances under which the reading or waiver of rights is not necessary, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The 1966 Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona established Miranda rights under the “right against self-incrimination,” according to JRank.org. In this case, Ernesto Miranda was one of four appellants who received a conviction based on statements given informally while in police custody. The appellants did not have knowledge of their legal right to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination. The court ruled that a signed confession by Miranda without the waiver or knowledge of his Fifth Amendment rights was inadmissible in court.
