Vote of 6-3 uncouples rule from constitutional rights.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 last week that a deputy sheriff was not in the wrong by not reciting the “Miranda rights” to a detainee. The detainee, Terence Tekoh, accused Carlos Vega of extracting a false confession from him after not informing him of his right to remain silent. Tekoh sued him for damages, claiming that Vega violated his Fifth Amendment rights by doing so. However, the six conservative justices reversed the former precedent.
Justice Alito wrote in the Opinion of the Court that “the Miranda rules are ‘constitutionally based’ and have ‘constitutional underpinnings.‘ But the obvious point of these formulations was to avoid saying that a Miranda violation is the same as a violation of the Fifth Amendment right.” Justices Breyer and Sotomayor joined Justice Kagan in the dissent, saying that the original Miranda case and subsequent cases were inextricable from Fifth Amendment rights.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for justices and judges of the federal judiciary as they hear cases regarding Constitutional rights.
- That the justices seek God’s guidance as they consider and interpret the law.
- For the Lord to accomplish His will through the decisions and rulings of the U.S. courts.
Sources: Supreme Court, Reuters
