Miranda v. Arizona: Law and Order Quotes
How we cite our quotes: (Section.Paragraph) or (Section.Subsection.Paragraph)
Quote #1
We granted certiorari in these cases […] to give concrete constitutional guidelines for law enforcement agencies and courts to follow. (Opinion.3)
Certiorari is fancy legal jargon used by the Supreme Court to mean "Okay. We'll take your case." Read those last few words—evidently there was some confusion about the issue of Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights that the Court wanted to clarify. The idea was to have all police departments operating under the same principles.
Quote #2
It is not admissible to do a great right by doing a little wrong…It is not sufficient to do justice by obtaining a proper result by irregular or improper means. (Opinion.I.5)
Rules apply to both the regular folks and the police. If the police break the rules in order to help keep order…where do we draw the line? Think about the word choices with "irregular" and "improper." It's hard to know exactly what those terms mean, and that's what the Opinion and Dissent sections really get into.
Quote #3
We have concluded that, without proper safeguards, the process of in-custody interrogation of persons suspected or accused of crime contains inherently compelling pressures which work to undermine the individual's will to resist and to compel him to speak where he would not otherwise do so freely. (Opinion.III.1)
Pressure to talk doesn't have to be physical (like being hit). It can be mental (feeling scared, alone, out of options, being too young to really understand what's happening). We think it's pretty insightful that the Court recognized these kinds of psychological pressures, and instituted rules that took them into account. Warren's suggesting that, even though there are rules in place to protect suspects (Fifth and Sixth Amendments), it's too easy to break them.
Quote #4
At the outset, if a person in custody is to be subjected to interrogation, he must first be informed in clear and unequivocal terms that he has the right to remain silent. For those unaware of the privilege, the warning is needed simply to make them aware of it […]. It is not just the subnormal or woefully ignorant who succumb to an interrogator's imprecations […] (Opinion.III.3)
"Imprecation" means cursing or insult. Warren's saying that everyone can be vulnerable to being beaten down by that kind of treatment. You don't have to be an idiot to be a little unclear about your rights in those circumstances.
Quote #5
Crime is contagious. If the Government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. (Opinion.IV.2)
The Court thinks it's a recipe for chaos if people see the government as operating outside the law. What's the point of being a good citizen if you can't count on the police to treat you fairly? If your mom didn't stop at red lights, would she have any credibility when she told you not to do it?