Justices disagree over cases involving Miranda rights

[54anickel]

Oh boy, here he goes again....

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/7453229.htm

The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared to be torn over whether evidence must always be tossed in criminal cases where police fail - sometimes intentionally - to properly inform suspects of their rights.

In arguments for two cases that experts say strike at the heart of so-called Miranda rights, the justices pondered whether violations of the 37-year-old warning - "You have the right to remain silent … " - should carry serious consequences or be written off as harmless errors.

The Bush administration and Missouri officials told the court that, in the interest of truth, police should be allowed to use such statements and evidence, even if officers initially conducted interrogations without reading suspects their rights. The value of that evidence in winning proper verdicts outweighs the procedural nature of the Miranda violations, they said.

[Gman]

1. I can't believe they say these things with a straight face

"The value of that evidence in winning proper verdicts outweighs the procedural nature of the Miranda violations, they said."

Only a true psychopath could say something like this.

Go get the old spot lights out of the closets and those wooden chairs.

[kodi]

2. scalia once said that innocence is not as important as due process

in that case, the obvious innocence of the man convicted was not to be considered in the case.

we have moved from the inconvenience of metting out justice to demanding efficiency.

in this way the social artifacts that mankind uses for civilization become more important than mankind itself.

all in all, just another brick in the wall.

[pw]

4. So procedure trumps innocence, but not guilt?

Perhaps Scalia's bible says that it is better to imprison a hundred innocent men than to let one guilty one get away...

[MarianJack]

5. Especially...

...if some of those innocents are ethnic minorities who may vote against his boy in the white house!

I'm a Roman Catholic/Christian. My Bible says NOTHING of what the religious right spews, and I love it when I run into a wingnut fundie and I know the Bible better than he/she does! I LOVE using it to show that their arguments are pure FUNDAMENTAL B.S.!

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Who are you kidding? Cops are legally allowed to deceive their suspects.

That is the truth. As long as you allows cops this kind of leeway with people, the Miranda Rule is necessary. (And especially since racial profiling is alive and well.)

[Pallas180]

6. Who are you kidding? Cops often don't give Miranda & lie they did.

it's total bs. Ideological pap for the masses so that
we'll think we live in a fair and just country.

[drfemoe]

7. "in the interest of truth"

deception is a key ingredient.

[Melodybe]

8. it is for reasons like this that we have to do whatever it takes to beat *

[fshrink]

9. Considering

what's left of the rights of the citizen in this country, including the power of the popular vote, this Miranda issue appears as a wrinkle soon to be ironed out. Put yourself in their expensive shoes: why in the world would you stop there!?