Dickerson v. United States, Supreme Court Case No. 99-5525: Challenge to Miranda Procedures by Police.
For more than 30 years, as a result of the 1966 landmark Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona, police have been required to follow precise wording and timing in advising suspects of their right to remain silent and have an attorney present. The recent Dickerson v. United States case challenged Miranda as a prerequisite to allow a voluntary confession to be admitted as evidence in a federal court, based on a never-enforced 1968 statue nullifying Miranda. The Court ruled Miranda, a Constitutional decision of the Supreme Court, cannot be overruled by Congress. This paper traces the facts of the case and its path to the Supreme Court and identifies the litigants, the main Constitutional Question the Court is being asked to decide, values in conflict and interest groups involved. It also discusses the arguments made on each side, important previous cases in this issue area, and the outcome. 12 pgs. bibliography lists 14 sources.
