Miranda is my woman
I have learned many invaluable life lessons since I reached adulthood. None, however, are as important as the lesson I learned about self-incrimination. Growing up, I was led to believe that members of law enforcement were “the good guys,” so I naturally assumed this when I first had occasion to be involved with one.
The summer after I graduated from high school was a lot of fun. That is, until I got pulled over and arrested for DUI and possession of some… well, yeah. I laughed at the cop who told me what I was being charged with because I wasn’t intoxicated. But alas, I fell victim to my own naivety and allowed the arresting officer to talk me into taking a blood test. Since I willingly provided the evidence they needed to convict me, no lawyer in the world could have gotten me off.
One positive benefit of this situation was that I discovered a fantastic criminal attorney who would save my ass on many occasions yet to come. But during our first meeting he imparted on me some true wisdom. He brought to my conscious thought the concept of civil protections under the fifth amendment. As an American citizen, I have the right not to incriminate myself for any reason.
Tom was good enough to explain the concept of Miranda rights to me; another policy enacted to preserve civil liberties of the accused, which most police officers employ lightly. The old adage “anything you say can, and will, be used against you” holds true for anything you say at any time that the police officer has witnessed. This of course is within the confines of legality because the accused need only be advised of his/her rights upon the time he is being arrested. But anything you say, or provide to the arresting officer, is evidence that can and will be used against you in court.
At the end of our conversation, he handed me his business card and told me to memorize his number for the next time I end up in a jam. “Tell them you want to speak to your lawyer next time,” he added. The moral of this story is: every man (and woman) needs a good lawyer. I guess you could say I learned that lesson the hard way, but a lesson learned is wisdom none-the-less.
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