Miranda v Arizona: The erosion of the decision by the US Supreme Court throught the years - Research Paper Example

One of such landmark rulings is the Miranda vs. Arizona case. This case, which covers on the issue of defendant rights, emerges as a reference point to proceedings of the Supreme Court back in 1966. Miranda vs. Arizona revolved around the issue of defendants’ rights during the period in police custody, and specifically during interrogation. Back in 1963, a young man named Miranda Ernesto was arrested by Arizona police for alleged kidnapping and rape of a certain female teenager. While in police custody, interrogation officers made Miranda to give both oral and written confession of his alleged crimes.

In the court room, the written confession was used as evidence, thus giving the jury grounds for sentencing Miranda to 30 years imprisonment. As a response to the sentence, Arizona state attorney appealed against the court’s decision on grounds that Miranda was not accorded an attorney, and that the circumstantial confessions were self incriminating. This appeal came during a period when legal corporations were emphasizing on the rights of defendants to remain silent and be given legal aid before any interrogation.

During the appeal proceedings, the Supreme Court identified issues surrounding the case. First, it emerged that Miranda was not accorded privileges enshrined within the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Fifth Amendment assert that during custodial police interrogation, the defendant must be informed of the right to remain silent coupled with a right to an attorney, and that any oral or written statement can be used as admissible evidence in a court of law. During interrogation, statements can be made only after effective safeguards against self incrimination have been applied.

The Supreme Court emphasized that any statements must be made in the presence of an attorney. In ruling for the case, the prosecution argued that the Supreme Court was overreacting to the issue of coercive interrogation.