G. Thayer Williamson Your Drug Crime Attorney

The police never read me my Miranda rights!

"The cops never read me my rights!" I get asked about this topic all the time. The police are not required to read Miranda rights to anyone. The police are only require to read an individual his or her rights if A) the individual is in police custody i.e. arrested, and B) the police want to interrogate the individual.

What does this mean? In short, everything that you say to the police before you are placed under arrest is admissible in Court. Second, even after arrest, the police are not required to "mirandize" an individual unless they want to question the individual. Many, many people essentially talk them selves into a conviction. Many people feel bad about being arrested and they proceed to spill their guts to the police office. The police officer isn't asking any questions, just a defendant babbling on about how they are sorry and this will never happen again etc.

If the police have placed you in custody, they are NOT trying to help you or to be your friend. The best advice is to say nothing to the police without consulting with an experienced criminal defense attorney.

If you have any questions about a criminal law matter please feel free to contact the Law Office of G. Thayer Williamson. I have been practicing criminal law since 2001.