Miranda Case Essay

605 Words3 Pages
There are many case law decisions that have a tremendous effect on policing. To pick the three most important decisions is a difficult task. After consideration, I personally feel the most important decision is Miranda v. Arizona followed by Mapp v. Ohio. The third most important decision, in my opinion, is Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz. The Miranda decision dictates that no one can be forced to incriminate themselves. In the Miranda case, Miranda kidnapped and raped a young woman. He was subsequently placed in a lineup in which the victim positively identified him. The police took him into custody and proceeded to interrogate him. The police never informed Miranda of his rights and two hours later he confessed. The confession…show more content…
Sitz has to do with the police having the right to have checkpoints to catch people drinking and driving. The court reasoned that checkpoints are designed to eliminate immediate hazards posed by intoxicated drivers. This ruling may not seem substantially important to policing at first glance, but I feel keeping the public safe is a top priority for the police. These checkpoints enable the police to temporarily detain people who are, at that moment, a very serious threat to the public. The checkpoints have probably saved thousands of lives and this would not be possible if the police could only check for intoxication after someone has violated the law. When I go through checkpoints, I often see people being arrested and wonder if they would have been caught without the checkpoint. Miranda v. Arizona, Mapp v. Ohio, and Michigan State Police v. Sitz all have, in my opinion, a substantial impact on policing. Following the rules after the Miranda v. Arizona and Mapp v. Ohio rulings can ensure the individual’s rights are protected as well as not leaving any loopholes open for appeal. To me these rulings “seal the deal” for the suspect (defendant) when adhered to correctly. Michigan Department of State Police v. Sitz allows officers to efficiently keep our roads and highways safer. These are the reasons I feel these three cases may possibly have the most impact on
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