Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court holding that law enforcement must warn a person of their constitutional rights before interrogating them while in custody, or else their statements cannot be used as evidence at trial. The Court held that under the Fifth Amendment the government cannot use statements made during custodial interrogation unless it shows the person was informed of the right to consult a lawyer and the right against self-incrimination, and that the person understood and voluntarily waived those rights. The decision transformed American law enforcement by making the "Miranda warning" part of routine police procedure, and under the later decision Berghuis v. Thompkins (2010) a suspect must unambiguously invoke the right to remain silent or to counsel for it to apply.