Miranda rights are a set of legal warnings that are required to be given by police officers in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to inform them that they have the right to keep quiet and hire a criminal defense attorney to be present for any questioning that takes place.
These rights were established in the landmark Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966 and are essentially designed to protect individuals from incriminating themselves and ensure they understand they can hire a lawyer before giving any statements to the police if they so choose.
What You Lose By Waiving Your Miranda Rights
When you waive your Miranda rights, you are essentially giving up your right to remain silent and your right to have an attorney present during questioning. Waiving your Miranda rights makes it more difficult to later challenge the admissibility of any statements you make to the police, and removes any chances of being able to successfully argue that any confession you made was coerced.
What The Police Can’t Do With Your Rights
Police officers are not allowed to coerce you into waiving your rights, meaning they cannot threaten you or use physical force to get you to do so. What they can do, however, is lie to you and convince you that waiving your Miranda rights is a good idea or that you will get something for it, like a lighter sentence. While plea deals can be helpful in some situations, this type of negotiation is almost never successful without an attorney.
Should You Call A Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer?
If you have been arrested or are under investigation for a crime, you should contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can help protect your rights in several ways, primarily by ensuring that you are treated fairly by the police and prosecutors.
They can also advise you on what to say and not say to the police and can be present during questioning to make sure that the police aren’t abusing or coercing you, or otherwise violating your rights. In some cases, an attorney may be able to negotiate with prosecutors to get charges reduced or dismissed.
Get comprehensive legal help today from veteran Florida criminal defense lawyer T. Martin Knopes by dialing 850-683-0700.