Supreme Court narrows Miranda rights, keeps Mich. convict in prison

 

Published: Yesterday

A Michigan man will continue serving a life sentence for murder after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that he gave up his rights against self-incrimination because he did not explicitly tell police he wanted to remain silent after his arrest.

The 5-4 decision overturns a ruling by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and reinstates Van Chester Thompkins' conviction for a Jan. 10, 2000, murder in Southfield.

Detroit attorney Elizabeth Jacobs, who argued the case for Thompkins, 33, in front of the Supreme Court in March, said the ruling is "very disappointing." The court is "diminishing Miranda rights as we know them," Jacobs said.

Miranda rights are the rights of a suspect to remain silent. Police tell suspects about those rights in a statement called a Miranda warning that gets its name from a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1966.

When police questioned Thompkins, he remained mostly silent for more than two hours, Jacobs said.

But he later answered "yes" when one of the officers asked him if he prayed for forgiveness for "shooting that boy down."

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said Thompkins could have ended the questioning by telling the police he wanted to invoke his right to remain silent.

In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision "turns Miranda upside down." It's counterintuitive, she said, to require a suspect to speak in order to exercise the right to remain silent.

Jacobs said she expected the decision to be close but wasn't sure which way Kennedy -- the swing vote between the conservatives and liberals on the court -- would come down.

She said she had not yet spoken to Thompkins, who is serving a life sentence at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater.

pegan@detnews.com (313) 222-2069



Comments

[replica balenciaga handbags]

There are a lot of fashion brands around the world which have made their mark in the fashion world and are considered to be a symbol of prestige and luxury. These brands manufacture a wide range of products from apparel to accessories which include hand bags and foot ware as well. One such brand that is famous across the globe for a range of its designer products is the Gucci. Gucci products are very expensive and are designed to provide with the most elegant look and are very stylish.
There are a lot of people who want to buy these bags but because of affordability factors it seems to very difficult for them. For this purpose there are a lot of brands that produce the exact replica of these bags and provide them at much lesser cost. These bags are also designed for the best quality and are made flaw less. The bags are made under the guidance of experts taking in all the aspects of the original one and are made with superior craftsmanship. They are also made to reflect the original styling of the Gucci bag and give a luxurious look they are offered at the best prices that are easily affordable by everyone.

They are made with the same dimensions of the original bag which is provided with all the appropriate tags and markings in it that resemble the original one and if someone keeps them aside of the original one it would make it very difficult to identify which is the original one and the replica. The bags are also available for online purchase and can be delivered directly to home. They are used with high quality materials in their manufacture which makes them very reliable and are long lasting and are provided with warranty.
replica balenciaga handbags