Verified Document

Procedural Due Process The Bill Term Paper

Finally, a lot of defense lawyers assist in helping men and women go free because of a technicality. On the whole however, it is a better system after the Gideon case because less innocent people are being convicted of crimes they did not commit. In the Case of Miranda v. Arizona 384 U.S. 436 (1966), the Court ruled that a defendant's admission was only admissible provided he had been properly advised of his right to counsel and of his right to remain silent, and if he waived these rights, the waiver had to be voluntary and knowingly. This case involved a burglary suspected who admitted to rape and kidnapping while in police custody. The defendant, Ernesto Miranda was sentenced to concurrent 20-30-year sentences for the two crimes he confessed to.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that due to the coercive nature of questioning by the police involved, there is no way the confession could have been consistent with Miranda's right against self-incrimination promised by the Fifth Amendment. The Court also ruled that the defendants in criminal cases had to be informed of the right to have counsel appointed for them if they could not afford an attorney. Therefore, this case affirms rights granted under both the Fifth an Sixth Amendments.

The ramifications of this case are overwhelming. First, the 'reading of rights' has become part of American of culture. Nearly every citizen, certainly every one with a television has heard: "You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot…" hundreds of times. This has a significant impact on the criminal justice system because now so many more people are aware of what these rights and that these rights, as a matter of constitutional right, apply to all of us. A corollary benefit is that law enforcement officers are equally aware of how educated all Americans are to the...

The police often persuade the accused that cooperating will benefit them in the long run. It is easy for someone who has been arrested to assume that this implies talking will lead to leniency. The problem is that any leniency by the police is either not ethical or is strictly up to the discretions of the police. So, there is often uneven leverage whenever the police want to interrogate an accused.
Also, if not advised, many people would assume that they are entitled to a lawyer, but later. Without knowing that you are allowed to have a lawyer present during police questioning, few people are going to assert the right they did not they had. The same is true about the right to have an attorney appointed if you cannot afford one. It is plausible that most people assume this only apply in the courtroom and not at the police station. Without an attorney present, most arrestees will not know that they have the right to stop an interrogation at any time or that using the rights cannot be held against them. For all of the above reasons, the rights bestowed upon Americans in Miranda are absolutely vital to protecting our Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to due process of the law.

The two very important decisions of the United States Supreme Court in the 1960's have both gone a long way in preserving the basic and fundamental liberties that Americans have enjoyed since our inception as a country. While there are times these safeguards backfire and allow guilty people to go free, it is more essential that all Americans have the peace of mind that comes with knowing if they are ever charged with a crime, they will not also be subject to the unfair practices that the Bill of Rights are designed to prevent.

Sources used in this document:
Another benefit involves the rights themselves. The police often persuade the accused that cooperating will benefit them in the long run. It is easy for someone who has been arrested to assume that this implies talking will lead to leniency. The problem is that any leniency by the police is either not ethical or is strictly up to the discretions of the police. So, there is often uneven leverage whenever the police want to interrogate an accused.

Also, if not advised, many people would assume that they are entitled to a lawyer, but later. Without knowing that you are allowed to have a lawyer present during police questioning, few people are going to assert the right they did not they had. The same is true about the right to have an attorney appointed if you cannot afford one. It is plausible that most people assume this only apply in the courtroom and not at the police station. Without an attorney present, most arrestees will not know that they have the right to stop an interrogation at any time or that using the rights cannot be held against them. For all of the above reasons, the rights bestowed upon Americans in Miranda are absolutely vital to protecting our Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights to due process of the law.

The two very important decisions of the United States Supreme Court in the 1960's have both gone a long way in preserving the basic and fundamental liberties that Americans have enjoyed since our inception as a country. While there are times these safeguards backfire and allow guilty people to go free, it is more essential that all Americans have the peace of mind that comes with knowing if they are ever charged with a crime, they will not also be subject to the unfair practices that the Bill of Rights are designed to prevent.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Procedural Due Process and Victims Rights
Words: 380 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Current and Future State of Criminal LawThe 5th and 14th Amendments procedural due process provides the standard to determine whether someone has been treated fairly by the judicial system. The amendments created a model of strict compliance with regular procedures in order to protect citizens against tyranny. Procedural due process has been viewed as flexible and adaptable to changing situations (Parkin, 2019). However, in recent years, courts have become less

Due Process, Truth, and the
Words: 799 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The goal of modern constitutional criminal procedure is to define principles of law enforcement that protect citizens from government intrusions that are unreasonable in their effect on personal liberties, while simultaneously facilitating the reasonable enforcement of law and protection of society by prosecuting and punishing criminal conduct. One of the first principles in early American constitutional history was the idea that it was more beneficial to society and its citizens to

Due Process and the 14th Amendment
Words: 686 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Due Process and the 14th Amendment Which of the protections available to criminal offenders through the Bill of Rights do not currently apply to the states? "Like the rest of the Bill of Rights, the Fourth Amendment originally only applied in federal court. However, in Wolf v. Colorado, 338 U.S. 25 (1949), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the rights guaranteed by the text of the Fourth Amendment…apply equally in state courts

Functions of Due Process in the Criminal Law System
Words: 1635 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Criminal Law Due Process Due process is an essential guarantee of basic fairness for citizens based on law. It has two basic goals; to produce accurate results through fair procedure to prevent wrongful deprivation of interests and to make people feel the government treated them fairly by listening to their side of the story (Procedural Due Process). Due process requires fair procedures when governments take actions against citizens, whether it is

Legal Principle, Due Process, Encapsulates All the
Words: 1796 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

legal principle, Due Process, encapsulates all the guarantees to the rights of an individual or a group. The provision for these rights in the Constitution simply means that the interests of the individuals and groups covered by it are protected. The fundamental human rights include right to life, liberty, and the acquisition of property. Some people believe that individuals should also have a right to the pursuit of happiness.

Current Trends in Due Process Lawsuits
Words: 2159 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Americans are aware that they are entitled to "their day in court" but may not fully understand the full range of due process protections that are contained in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. To determine the facts, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide a discussion concerning the meaning, history and importance of the constitutional concept of "due process" as contained in the Fifth

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now