Miranda Rights

Essay # 53122

Law

Miranda Rights

An overview of Miranda Rights, how they are seen in the media and in court, and the consequences of the Miranda laws.

1,254 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Miranda vs. Arizona is easily one of the five most significant cases of the 20th century and changed the use of involuntary confession in court. It looks at how there are few elements of law as well-known as the Miranda Rights ,which are recited in every episode of popular television shows, such as "Cops", "Law and Order", "The Shield", etc., and how most people have managed to know them almost completely by heart. It also examines how, more than anything else, it has become virtually impossible for a police department or federal agency to get away with misstating or even foregoing reading a suspect the Miranda rights and how it has helped to create an atmosphere in which people are far more aware of their rights than ever before.

From the Paper:

"While it has already been mentioned that the idea of Miranda Rights has become ingrained in the American consciousness, just how that happened should be examined. While Miranda Rights have been mentioned in an almost countless number of feature films, it has been television that has truly popularized the Miranda Rights as people know them today. Most significantly are the programs NYPD Blue and Law and Order, as well as the spin offs Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent, as well as other programs such as Crime Scene Investigations. In any given episode of any of the aforementioned programs, one could almost lose count of how many times Miranda Rights are actually read, mentioned, used or abused. Most people could learn all they would ever really need to know about their rights if they were to be arrested simply by watching and paying attention to what occurs in these programs."