Title: Miranda v. Arizona | Infoplease
Headings: Miranda v. Arizona
Miranda v. Arizona
Content: Miranda v. Arizona | Infoplease
Breadcrumb
Home >
Columbia Encyclopedia >
History >
United States, Canada, and Greenland >
Court Cases >
Miranda v. Arizona
Cite
Miranda v. Arizona
Enter your search terms: Miranda v. Arizona, U.S. Supreme Court case (1966) in the area of due process of law (see Fourteenth Amendment ). The decision reversed an Arizona court's conviction of Ernesto Miranda on kidnapping and rape charges. Identified in a police lineup, Miranda had been questioned, had confessed, and had signed a written statement without being told that he had a right to a lawyer; his confession was used at trial. In overturning Miranda's conviction, Chief Justice Earl Warren held that the prosecution may not use statements made by a person in police custody unless certain minimum procedural safeguards were in place. Before questioning, a person must be given what is now known as a Miranda warning: that you have the right to remain silent; that anything you say may be used as evidence against you; that you may request the presence of an attorney, either retained by you or appointed by the court;