Miranda rights

Involuntary Commitment Does Not Trigger Miranda, Court Rules

Published on: November 24, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “If I have an outstanding warrant, what should I do?”

To many people, involuntary commitment in a psychiatric facility seems like the equivalent of jail when it comes to restricting your freedoms; for some, it could be considered even worse. However, the majority of the N.C. Court of Appeals feels differently, with a divided panel recently ruling that a man who was involuntarily committed after he tried to kill himself was not in custody for Miranda warning purposes.

“You Have the Right to an Attorney”—Unless Prosecutors Insist You’re Unconscious?

Published on: October 25, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Should I talk to the police?”

The man suspected of planting the bombs on the Jersey Shore and in Manhattan last month is being represented by attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) after being denied access to a federal public defender.

2016 Marks 50th Anniversary of Miranda v. Arizona

Published on: April 28, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?”

“You have the right to remain silent…”, a phrase that almost all of us know, but few truly understand. The words are part of what has become known as a Miranda Warning or Miranda Rights. The Miranda Warning started 50 years ago in June and, in that time, has become deeply imbedded not only in criminal law, but in popular culture. Given the upcoming anniversary, now is a good time to spend a moment diving a bit deeper and learn what the Miranda Rights are and how they came to be.

Recent “Ineffective Assistance of Counsel” Ruling Provides Defense-Friendly Look at Confession Suppression

Published on: February 24, 2016 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?”

An exciting new ruling came out of the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals this February. This is the federal court that has jurisdiction over North Carolina, and it held that a state court was objectively unreasonable in not finding that a defendant’s trial attorney provided Ineffective Assistance of Counsel when the attorney failed to move to suppress the defendant’s confession.