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Overturning Roe v. Wade was one of several rulings handed down during one of the most eventful SCOTUS terms in recent history, but it was far from the only controversial decision. The Supreme Court Miranda ruling also has far-reaching implications. In a 6-3 decision, the justices ruled that police officers can’t be sued by suspects who don’t receive their Miranda warnings when they are arrested. Straight Arrow News contributor Ruben Navarrette says the Supreme Court Miranda ruling weakens a key right all Americans should have. He also warns that the current SCOTUS’ judicial activism is undermining the American legal system.
Sidebar, Your Honor: I’m wondering whatever happened to the Republican Party of old, the one that used to preach to black and brown folks in the 1980s that we had to take responsibility for our actions? Where was the fondness for the Fifth Amendment back then? Oh, I see. It’s the Fifth Amendment for thee, but not for me.
As you’re likely aware, from countless hours of TV cop shows from “Dragnet” to “Chicago PD,” law enforcement officers are required to issue Miranda warnings before they can question a suspect. Many police departments even print out the exact wording on laminated cards that officers carry with them, just to make sure nothing gets lost in iteration. But what if the officers don’t feel like going through the trouble? Or what if they forget to give the warning? What if they’re so desperate for information that they’re willing to pressure or intimidate a suspect to get it and they don’t want Miranda getting in the way? Due to the high court’s decision in Vega versus Tekoh, the answer seems to be, “No biggie. Carry on lads.”
Police officers who wipe their feet on one of the most fundamental rights are immune to civil lawsuits, the court ruled. There goes the quaint Republican ideal of accountability right out the window. Ironically, it’s the job of police to make folks answer for misconduct. Now, courtesy of the Supreme Court, police don’t have to answer for their own misconduct. Police unions might see this particular ruling as a gift to law enforcement officers. They’re wrong. It’s a curse. Policing already needs reform. And this will only make the need greater. We can expect more distrust of cops, more coercion, more false confessions, more chaos in the justice system. When it comes to outrageous judicial activism that can’t wait to turn back the clock on civil liberties and civil rights, this configuration of the Supreme Court wins the prize. And in the process, a once-remarkable country is losing its way and giving up what made it special in the first place.
