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Court Split over Miranda Rights Case
October 04, 2011 09:17pm
The Supreme Court was divided on Tuesday regarding whether it is mandatory for police to read Miranda rights to prison inmates every time they interrogate them concerning crimes unrelated to their current incarceration.
The Supreme Court heard arguments from lawyers across the country who seek the termination of a federal appeals court decision, which overturned the conviction of Randall Lee Fields.
Fields was serving a 45-day sentence in prison for a disorderly conduct conviction when a prison guard removed him from his cell and took him to a conference room. The deputies, after telling him he could leave at any time, then questioned Fields for hours regarding allegations that he had sexually assaulted a minor. Fields ultimately confessed to the crime and he was sentenced to an additional 10 to 15 years in prison.
Fields appealed the use of his confession, claiming that he was never awarded his Miranda rights on the sexual assault charges. On appeal, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati threw out Fields’ confession and conviction, by ruling that it is required for police to read Miranda rights to inmates anytime they are isolated from the prison population or in situations where they could potentially incriminate themselves.
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