The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The U.S. Supreme Court, headed by Earl Warren as its chief justice for nearly two decades in the 1950s-1960s, was responsible for several landmark rulings expanding the federal and judicial power and promoting civil rights and liberties. The Warren Court’s rulings also have a long-lasting impact on everyday police work since they significantly affected the criminal justice process, including arrests, evidence search, and court proceedings.

Perhaps, one of the most widely known implications of the Warren Court’s rulings is the so-called Miranda warning that features in many police detective films and shows. The Miranda warning refers to the criminal suspects’ right to silence, and police officers are required to give this warning to anyone in their custody before interrogation. Police also inform the suspects that they have the right to an attorney that will be provided to them by the state if they cannot afford one. Otherwise, any statement made by the suspect is not admissible to be used against them during criminal proceedings. The Miranda warning requirement originates from the Court’s 1966 decision in Miranda v. Arizona, which proved to be one of its most controversial cases, with the opponents of the Miranda warning calling for it to be repealed (Candela, 2011).

Decisions made by the Court also affected the evidence search and collection procedure followed by the police. The Supreme Court relied on the Fourteenth Amendment, which addresses the U.S. citizenship rights to make constitutional rights applicable at the state level. This decision was adopted in the 1961 Mapp v. Ohio case which many believed has revolutionized prosecution and police practices. In particular, the Court referred to the Fourth Amendment prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures to extend the Exclusionary Rule to the states. Thus, evidence collected in violation of the suspect’s constitutional rights is frequently inadmissible in court proceedings, meaning that police have to obtain a search warrant to inspect the suspect’s belongings (Maclin, 2012).

Furthermore, the Warren Court aimed to ensure that criminal defendants enjoy fair trial and due process which found a reflection in several of its decisions. While these rulings mainly affect the trial proceedings, they also have an impact on how police can conduct their operations. For instance, the decision in Gideon v. Wainwright stated that felony defendants will be provided with an attorney if they cannot afford one. The reach of this decision extends, however, not only to the trial itself but also to critical pre-trial stages such as interrogation and eyewitness identification (Tomkovicz, 2014). The Court based its decision on the Right to Counsel as provided by the Sixth Amendment addressing the rights during criminal prosecution. Combined with other Warren Court’s rulings, this decision provides comprehensive legal protection to the accused, which its critics believe to be unjustifiably broad.

While some may argue that the Warren Court was too liberal in reviewing the existing laws and has thus overstepped its boundaries, the Court had a significant impact on the everyday police work to ensure fair and respectful treatment of criminal suspects.

References

Candela, K. (2011). Miranda rights. In W.J. Chambliss (Ed.), Courts, law, and justice (pp. 173-186). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Maclin, T. (2012). The Supreme Court and the Fourth Amendment’s Exclusionary Rule. Phoenix, AZ: Apollo Education Group.

Tomkovicz, J.J. (2014). An introduction to fifty years of Gideon. Iowa Law Review, 99(5), 1875-1892.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, April 18). The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-warren-courts-rulings-and-criminal-procedure/

Work Cited

"The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure." IvyPanda, 18 Apr. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-warren-courts-rulings-and-criminal-procedure/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure'. 18 April.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure." April 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-warren-courts-rulings-and-criminal-procedure/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure." April 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-warren-courts-rulings-and-criminal-procedure/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Warren Court’s Rulings and Criminal Procedure." April 18, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-warren-courts-rulings-and-criminal-procedure/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1