Many people have at least a passing familiarity with their Miranda rights due to its commonality in popular media.
But just how much do you actually know about these rights? Do you know why you should rely on them?
What are your rights?
Miranda Warning discusses a person’s Miranda rights and how they function in reality. These rights cover two primary things: one, a person’s right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination. Two, a person’s right to an attorney even if they cannot afford one. If that is the case, the state supplies them with one.
An officer needs to ensure verbally that you understand these rights fully before giving you the chance to revoke them. You may feel tempted to do so at first because of a widespread belief that “only guilty people” use their Miranda rights.
However, anyone can end up incriminating themselves in a crime they did not commit due to strange circumstances or simply handling an interrogation poorly.
To that end, you should consider utilizing your Miranda rights by stating very clearly that you will be invoking your right to remain silent when the warning is read to you.
Maintaining your silence
After that, be sure not to say anything else. Even if you invoke your Miranda rights, the police can still use anything that you say after that point against you in a court of law. It is best instead to simply get into contact with an attorney as quickly as possible, as they can then represent you without fear of self-incrimination.