The Supreme Court on Thursday shielded police from being sued by suspects for failing to provide well-known Miranda warnings.
Ruling in a Los Angeles case called Vega vs. Tekoh, the justices by a 6-3 vote said that the only remedy for a Miranda violation is to block the use in court of a suspect’s incriminating comments.
The court’s conservative majority described the Miranda warnings as a set of guidelines that protect the right against self-incrimination. As such, the warnings, including the “right to remain silent,” are not constitutional rights in themselves that could result in a separate action against the police.
But Miranda warnings remain intact. For a confession to be used in court, the suspect must be warned in advance that he has a right to remain silent and that anything he says may be used against him court, they said.
In dissent, the liberal justices said the ruling weakens the Miranda rights, and it may encourage the police to use pressure tactics against people they have taken into custody.
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