When facing the possibility of a police interrogation, it is more important than ever to understand your Miranda rights.
These rights can provide you with an incredible amount of protection in an otherwise very difficult situation.
What your Miranda rights protect
MirandaWarning.org discusses a person’s Miranda rights in detail. Your Miranda rights protect a number of things, with the two chief ones being your right to legal counsel and your right to remain silent.
Legal counsel means the provision of an attorney if you cannot hire one yourself. In other words, if you cannot afford legal representation, the state must provide you with one.
Your right to remain silent means you do not have to engage in discussion with the police. You can instead remain silent and the police cannot force you to discuss things with them.
Why you should utilize them
A common misconception exists in that only guilty people will use their Miranda rights. This is, of course, quite far from the truth.
In reality, anyone could benefit from relying on their Miranda rights. This is because most people do not know how to interact with the police properly, especially in an interrogative setting. It is not like a normal conversation, and you need to take care with every single thing you say and do, lest you accidentally paint yourself in a suspicious light.
Even innocent people can end up looking guilty in the wrong circumstances. This is why relying on your Miranda rights is of such crucial importance.
