NCJ Number
192902
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2002 Pages: 77-86
Date Published
2002
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a 2000 survey that asked 95 police chiefs from the Commonwealth of Virginia about their perceptions of the requirements of "Miranda," and factors that contributed to their perceptions were examined.
Abstract
The chiefs were asked to read 18 statements with Likert-type selection categories that ranged from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Two additional questions asked the chiefs to indicate how often they thought Miranda was applied appropriately and to indicate how many cases they had seen overturned due to Miranda. The study found that demographic characteristics of the chiefs were not as influential in their perceptions of Miranda as were their perceived experiences with the Miranda warnings. According to the chiefs, adequate job training plays a vital role in the ability of officers to elicit incriminating statements from suspects. In addition, even when the Miranda warnings were read, suspects would often waive their rights and confess. The corollary from this was that the intended objective of the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard the rights of suspects against self-incrimination has not been fully achieved. Many of the chiefs attained their positions post-Miranda, so they have accepted the warnings as an integral part of police procedure. Even though suspects still confess after having been read their rights, the existence of Miranda, as gleaned from the survey, has fostered a heightened sense of professionalism among police officers. 2 tables, 19 references, and appended table of relevant court cases