Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/12/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Bryan, By "must" I meant that in order to use the statements outside the realm of impeachment or exceptions like excited utterance type scenarios. But, all the same, thanks for the review. I agree that there is very often a misunderstanding about what, exactly, Miranda offers as far as protections. The Supremes have been chipping away at it for years and I'm suprised they didn't throw it out jsut a couple of years ago. Anyway, good luck in the court room. My cases, obviously enough, are not in the criminal realm. Frank On Sun, 08 Dec 2002 07:06:49 -0800 Bryan Caldwell <bcaldwell51@earthlink.net> wrote: > On 12/7/02 11:02 AM, "Frank Farmer" wrote: > > > Miranda rights are required for "custodial > interrogation." That term is often > > debated, but basically , if you can't leave, > then you must be mirandized. > > That includes the officer holding your > driver's license at a traffic stop if I > > remember my crimial law correctly. I don't > practice that very much. > > > > Frank > > > > On Fri, 06 Dec 2002 10:40:21 -0800 Bryan > Caldwell > > wrote: > > > > Frank, > > It is never the case that you MUST be > Mirandized - meaning that if you are > not, you must automatically be released or that > the charges against you must > automatically be dismissed. Failure to give > Miranda warnings only means that > any statements you make that are the result of > in-custody questioning cannot > be used against you in the prosecution's > case-in-chief. If you are detained > or arrested and the police don't intend to > question you, they don't need to > Mirandize you. Un-Mirandized responses to > police questioning can be used to > rebut contradictory testimony that you give at > a later date. For this > reason, not giving Miranda warnings can often > be a tactical decision on the > part of law enforcement. If you are questioned > without having been given the > Miranda warnings, your statements may prevent > you from effectively > testifying on your own behalf at a later trial > or other proceeding. I think > that television and movies have given many > people mistaken impressions about > Miranda. I often have clients who are charged > with criminal offenses and > think that all charges against them have to be > dropped because they were > never Mirandized. This is not the case. It is > true that, in some cases, the > prosecution's case cannot be proven without the > use of an un-Mirandized > statement. In those cases, if the defense > attorney makes the appropriate > objection and prevails on the issue, the case > will likely be dismissed. But, > if the prosecution can prove their case without > using an un-Mirandized > statement, the case will go forward. Miranda > has no effect on the legality > of an arrest - it deals with the admissibility > of statements made by an > in-custody suspect that are the result of > police questioning. > > Bryan > > -- > To unsubscribe, see > http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html