Miranda Warnings in Georgia DUI cases

As soon as police take the steps toward arresting a person (placing handcuffs on them) and telling them that they are under arrest, they must read the person Miranda Rights.These Miranda Rights tell a person that they have the right not to make any self-incriminating statements that could later be used against them in a court of law. Police only have to read you your Miranda Rights if they are putting you in police custody.

Let’s say you are out walking your dog when a police officer approaches you. The officer asks if you can answer some questions they have. If you act suspicious by trying to walk away or refusing to answer the questions, the officer may then arrest you.

However, if you choose to answer the questions, the officer may then arrest you based on your statements. Any statements that you make following your arrest can be admissible in court, so keep that in mind.

Using the example above of you out walking your dog, the police in this situation now approach you and tell you that you are a suspect in killing another person. A person who is innocent will most likely act shocked and refute such statements. So if you were to remain silent, police would think you’re acting suspicious and can use this against you.

Since they had not read you your Miranda Rights telling you of your right to remain silent, there was no reason for you to keep quiet. This is known as pre-Miranda silence.

However, if you were to tell police that your lawyer told you not to answer any questions without their advice first, that would be an acceptable reason to remain silent before your Miranda Rights were read to you.

Remember, that if you are arrested you do have the right to remain silent or to request an attorney before you answer the police’s questions. And as soon as you use your right to remain silent or ask for an attorney, the police cannot interrogate you any further. Requesting an attorney is often a smarter move than choosing not to say anything.

Miranda rights are usually NOT given at the roadway for those taken into custody after a DWI-DUI arrest. For some other serious crimes, police may Mirandize a subject to try to get a quick statement that will be later used to convict the detainee. The 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution grants you the absolute right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself during your drunk driving arrest and the subsequent booking process. This right applies to everyone in every state–citizens, legal aliens, and undocumented aliens alike.

Your silence cannot be used against you in court under the Fifth Amendment, but your spontaneous, unsolicited statements (not gained through police questioning or interrogation) can be included in the prosecution’s case against you. Tell police or jailers that you wish to remain silent, and that you want a DUI attorney before anything else occurs. But keep in mind that you should still be appropriately polite. Beyond providing the police your identification documents, showing such as your name, address, and driver’s license number, you are not obliged to answer any further questions, such as your prior arrest record.