It is important to understand your Miranda rights if you ever end up in a situation where police want to interrogate you.
Knowing these rights can mean the difference between accidentally self-incriminating yourself and avoiding making that mistake.
What are your rights?
Miranda Warning discusses the Miranda rights that everyone has. These rights include your right to remain silent in order to avoid self-incrimination, as well as your right to an attorney even if you do not have the funds to pay for one yourself. In these situations, you will be assigned one by the state.
Should you use them?
You may think that you do not need to rely on your Miranda rights because you are innocent and thus have no reason not to speak with the police. In fact, even the police may try to get you to revoke your rights by following this line of logic, knowing that many people already believe it.
However, Miranda rights are designed to protect everyone from potential self-incrimination or even the abuse of power by police. This means that everyone can and should consider relying on them if possible.
After invoking your right to remain silent, you then need to remain silent. This is important to note. The things you say after invoking your Miranda rights can still be used against you in court, so it is crucial not to say anything without the presence of your attorney.
In doing this, you can keep yourself from accidentally saying or doing anything self-incriminating when dealing with a police interview.
