Today@Sam Article
SHSU To Observe 50 Years Of ‘Miranda’
Oct. 31, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Story by Gene Roberts.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.”
These words, or a variation of them, warning criminal defendants of their rights, are ubiquitous scenes in many television shows and movies.
The principle behind these words comes from the 1966 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
On Friday (Nov. 4), the Sam Houston State University College of Criminal Justice, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Department of Psychology and Philosophy, and Student Legal & Mediation Services will collaborate to observe “Miranda at 50" and the impact it has made on our legal system.
“Although the Miranda decision is among the best known of all U.S. Supreme Court decisions and has had the greatest impact on police practice, it involves many issues which are understood poorly, if at all, by nearly everyone. I have no doubt that this event will change that latter fact for those in attendance,” said Phillip Lyons, dean of the College of Criminal Justice.
Richard Rogers, Regents Professor of Psychology at the University of North Texas, will deliver a presentation on “Getting It Wrong about Miranda Rights: Research on our Myths and Misconceptions” in the Criminal Justice Center Killinger Auditorium’s lower level at 11 a.m.
In 2015, Rogers completed a decade of support from the National Science Foundation as a principal investigator examining Miranda warnings and waivers. His programmatic research led to the development of Miranda measures and was relied on by the American Bar Association in its call for national reform of juvenile Miranda warnings.
He has authored more than 200 refereed articles, written seven books, and developed and validated four psychological measures published by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.
Rogers’s research in 2014 examined the wording of 371 juvenile Miranda warnings nationwide, finding that 52 percent required at least an eighth-grade reading level, according to a June 1, article in the ABA Journal. Additionally, the article reports that the stress of being arrested probably reduces comprehension by at least 20 percent.
At 3 p.m., a panel with Rogers, SHSU philosophy lecturer Ian McDaniel and Walker County District Attorney David Weeks will discuss the legal, philosophical and empirical issues relating to Miranda. It also will be held in the lower level of the Killinger Auditorium.
“Our office provides students with high-quality legal advice, and sometimes students will come to us saying ‘The police didn’t read my Miranda rights to me,’” said Gene Roberts, director of Student Legal and Mediation Services. “Part of our goal to equip our students with legal knowledge is to inform them of when the police are required to read the Miranda warnings.
“The education that students will receive on Nov. 4 will help them know their rights from some of the best in the criminal justice and academic worlds, as well as recognizing how Supreme Court decisions can affect them,” Roberts said.
Both events are open to the public.
For more information, contact Roberts at 936.294.1717 or gene.roberts@shsu.edu.
- END -
This page maintained by SHSU's Communications Office:
Director of Content Communications: Emily Binetti
Asst. Director Content & Social Media: Emilee White
Communications Manager: Mikah Boyd
Telephone: 936.294.1837
Communications Specialist: Campbell Atkins
Telephone: 936.294.2638
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu