"Pleading the Fifth" and Miranda Warnings
"Pleading the Fifth" and Miranda Warnings:
Separating Fact From Fiction
When former Ohio police officer Bobby Cutts Jr. was charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child, few people probably expected him to take the stand at his own trial. When he did take the stand to testify, he shocked many with his tearful confession detailing the murder. American courtwatchers are accustomed to the fact that those accused of crimes rarely take the stand in their own defense, or if they do take the stand, they frequently "plead the Fifth," invoking the Fifth Amendment right that allows criminal suspects to remain silent to avoid incriminating themselves.
If you've watched "Cops" or any other detective series, you've heard a Miranda warning ("You have the right to remain silent!") and know that defendants can "plead the fifth" . But do you really know what those terms mean, and how they're used in criminal investigations?......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 1035
Approximate Pages: 4 (260 words per double-spaced page) |