U.S. Supreme Court Could Force Rewrite Of Miranda Rights Warning

The Supreme Court seems headed toward telling police they have to explicitly warn criminal suspects that their lawyer can be present during any interrogation. The arguments in front of the justices Monday were the latest over how far the Miranda warning rights go.

By: AP | WJBF-TV
Published: December 07, 2009

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court seems headed toward telling police they have to explicitly warn criminal suspects that their lawyer can be present during any interrogation.

The arguments in front of the justices Monday were the latest over how far the Miranda warning rights go.

Kevin Dwayne Powell was given Miranda warnings that included telling him he had a right to a lawyer before questioning. Powell's lawyers appealed, saying police didn't tell him he had a right to have a lawyer during police interrogation. The Florida Supreme Court overturned it. Justice Stephen Breyer said Monday that Miranda rights say a suspect has the right to have an attorney during questioning, and he asked repeatedly if the Florida officers made that plain to Powell.