Historical Figure
Ernesto Miranda
d. 1976
American criminal and subject of a United States Supreme Court case
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Biography
Ernesto Arturo Miranda was an American laborer whose criminal conviction was set aside in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, which ruled that criminal suspects must be informed of their right against self-incrimination and their right to consult with an attorney before being questioned by police. This warning is known as a Miranda warning. Miranda had been convicted of kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery charges based on his confession under police interrogation.
Timeline
The story of Ernesto Miranda, told in moments.
Arrested in Phoenix on kidnapping and rape charges. During a two-hour interrogation, he signed a written confession. No lawyer was present. No one told him he could remain silent.
Convicted and sentenced to 20-30 years. His court-appointed attorney, Alvin Moore, appealed on the grounds that Miranda's confession was coerced. The Arizona Supreme Court upheld the conviction.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Miranda v. Arizona that suspects must be informed of their rights before police questioning. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the majority opinion. Every arrest in America changed.
Retried without the confession and convicted again. His common-law wife testified against him. After parole in 1972, he sold autographed Miranda rights cards for $1.50 each.
Stabbed to death during a bar fight in Phoenix at age 34. His killer fled. A suspect was arrested, read his Miranda rights, and chose to remain silent. The case was never solved.
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