ABSTRACT
Miranda v. Arizona is a landmark case that not only has changed police procedures in questioning suspects, but has been ingrained into the psyche of American culture, as well. Critics of the Warren Court claimed that the rights of the accused were so strictly protected that police agencies would have trouble securing convictions against criminals. Civil libertarians hailed it as another ruling that strengthened the protections of individual rights. In March 1963, police in Phoenix, AZ, arrested Ernesto Miranda for the rape and kidnapping of an 18-year-old girl. Miranda was taken into custody after his vehicle was described by the victim’s brother. The law enforcement community remains bound by the rules established by this case. Suspects are mirandized at the time of their arrest.
