Miranda Vs Arizona Essay

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In the Supreme Court Case, Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the challenge of the 5th and 6th amendment right was present. The 5th amendment states,” No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury” (Constitution: VI Amendment). The amendment basically gives Americans the right to be silent. The 6th amendment states," In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial…. and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense” (Constitution: VII Amendment). This amendment gives the suspect the right to a speedy trial and the right to an attorney. These amendments were challenged in this court case when in March of 1963 a man kidnapped a girl off of the street and drove her away, then raped her about 20 minutes away. On March 13th, 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested in …show more content…

The Justices in the majority vote was Warren, Black, Douglas, Brennan and Fortas. The majority opinion was that any defendants arrested under state law must be informed of their rights against self-incrimination and be giving the opportunity for an attorney before being interrogated when in the custody of the state. Anything said by the defendant in custody, freely, may be used in a court hearing. In the court they also ruled that police must inform defendant of their rights before they are taken into custody. There are 4 things they must inform the defendant of: 1) that they have the right to remain silent 2) that anything they say can be used against them in court 3) that they have the right to an attorney, either retained by them or appointed by the court 4) that they may waive any of these