Ernesto Miranda was a man whose name became synonymous with the rights of criminal suspects in the United States. His case, Miranda v. Arizona, led to the creation of the Miranda warning, which informs suspects of their right to remain silent and to have an attorney present during interrogation. But what happened to Ernesto Miranda after his case reached the Supreme Court? How did he die and what was the impact of his death on the legal system?
The Crime and the Confession
Ernesto Miranda was born in 1941 in Mesa, Arizona, to a Mexican immigrant father and a mother who died when he was five years old. He had a troubled childhood and dropped out of school in eighth grade. He became a career criminal and was arrested several times for various offenses, including burglary, attempted rape, armed robbery, and peeping Tom.
On March 13, 1963, Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, as a suspect in the kidnapping and rape of an 18-year-old woman. The victim had identified him in a lineup and the police found some of her belongings in his possession. Miranda was interrogated for two hours by the police, who did not inform him of his rights to remain silent and to have an attorney. Miranda confessed to the crime and signed a statement that said he had made the confession voluntarily. He also confessed to another robbery that he had committed a few days earlier.
Miranda was tried and convicted of kidnapping and rape, based on his confession and the victim’s testimony. He was sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. He appealed his conviction, claiming that his confession was coerced and that he was not aware of his rights. His case reached the Arizona Supreme Court, which upheld his conviction.
The Supreme Court Ruling
Miranda’s case was appealed again and reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1966. The Court agreed to hear his case along with three other similar cases that involved the issue of confessions and self-incrimination. The Court consolidated the four cases and decided them under the name of Miranda v. Arizona.
The Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that Miranda’s confession was invalid and that his conviction should be overturned. The Court held that the Fifth Amendment, which protects against self-incrimination, and the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to counsel, apply not only in court but also during police interrogation. The Court stated that suspects must be informed of their rights before being questioned and that they must voluntarily waive their rights if they choose to speak. The Court also stated that if suspects invoke their rights, the interrogation must stop until an attorney is present.
The Court’s ruling established the Miranda warning, which is now a standard procedure for law enforcement officers in the United States. The warning typically consists of the following statements:
- You have the right to remain silent.
- Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
- You have the right to an attorney.
- If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.
The Court’s ruling was controversial and sparked a debate about the balance between the rights of suspects and the interests of society in preventing and solving crimes. Some critics argued that the ruling would hamper the police and let criminals go free. Some supporters argued that the ruling would protect the innocent and prevent false confessions.
The Second Trial and the Death
The Supreme Court’s ruling did not free Miranda but offered him a new trial without the confession he made to the police. Ernesto Miranda’s second trial for rape and kidnapping opened in mid-February 1967 at the Maricopa County Superior Court. The prosecution relied on other evidence, such as the victim’s identification, the physical evidence, and the testimony of Miranda’s common-law wife, who said that he had admitted the crime to her. The defense tried to cast doubt on the reliability of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses. The jury deliberated for less than two hours and found Miranda guilty again. He was sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison.
Miranda was paroled in 1972, after serving only six years of his sentence. He returned to Phoenix and worked as a delivery man for a produce company. He also sold autographed Miranda warning cards for $1.50 each. He continued to have run-ins with the law and was arrested several times for minor offenses, such as driving without a license and possession of a knife.
On January 31, 1976, Miranda was involved in a bar fight at La Amapola, a downtown Phoenix tavern. He was stabbed several times in the chest by a man named Ezequiel Moreno Perez, who was reportedly angry that Miranda had been flirting with his girlfriend. Miranda was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. He was 34 years old.
Miranda’s death was ironic and tragic. The man whose case had changed the course of American law and had given rights to millions of suspects died as a victim of a violent crime. His killer, Perez, fled to Mexico and was never apprehended. Miranda’s case, however, lives on as a landmark decision that continues to shape the criminal justice system and the public consciousness. According to Wikipedia, Miranda v. Arizona is one of the most frequently cited Supreme Court cases in history.
