When facing arrest and the threat of police interrogation, you may wonder what you can do to protect your rights.
You may also wonder what rights you have in the first place. Your Miranda rights provide a couple of crucial pieces of aid, and it is important to understand as much as possible about them.
Your right to remain silent
Miranda Warning discusses your Miranda rights and their importance. First, what rights does this umbrella cover?
Your Miranda rights protect two important things: your right to legal representation, and your right to remain silent. The second one became so ingrained into pop culture that many people do not understand what it actually means or does, or what purpose it serves.
Remaining silent serves as a crucial way to prevent from incriminating yourself. Even innocent people often say potentially incriminating things, and they can end up digging an even bigger hole if they insist on talking to police without legal help at hand.
Police often paint it as a bad idea to invoke your Miranda rights and avoid speaking to police in an interrogation. However, this may act as the best way to tell your side of the story without incriminating yourself in the process.
Your right to legal representation
This also ties in with your right to legal representation. As many people know, attorneys are expensive. Under your Miranda rights, you have the right to an attorney even if you cannot afford to hire one. The state will provide you with one if you fall into this category.
Having good legal representation could mean the difference between painting yourself as guilty or clearing your name, so your Miranda rights are vital.