Miranda rights began on this day in 1966


On this day in 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court issued it's ruling on Miranda vs. Arizona, which established that criminal suspects must be informed of their Constitutional rights prior to questioning by police.

Those rights as spelled out in Miranda vs. Arizona:

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."

As usual, the court had split 5-4, with the four dissenting judges denouncing the ruling bitterly.

The New York Times has the text of their June 13, 1966 front page story on the decision available here

Posted: Sun - June 13, 2004 at 09:22 PM          

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