Miranda v. Arizona Themes
Interpretation of Law
From time to time, the Supreme Court blows it big time. Take Dred Scott v. Sandford, or Plessy v. Ferguson, when they upheld pro-slavery and pro-segregation policies, respectively. As the last-ditc...
Law and Order
No doing 50 in a 35 MPH zone; no staying out after 1 AM; no texting while driving; no bribing your senator to lower the legal drinking age; no printing your own money. Laws are a pain, right?Not re...
Police Misconduct
A couple teenagers felt all Bonnie-and-Clyde when they held up that gas station attendant at knifepoint and got him to empty the cash drawer. (Shmoop disclaimer: This is for instructional purposes...
Morality and Ethics
In making their decision in Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court let some bad people off the hook. Yes, many of those criminals returned to court and were still found guilty. But let's face it, in...
The Constitution: Living or Dead?
Our rights as Americans are based on the Constitution. Just one problem: the Constitution was written in the 1780s, when slavery was legal, women couldn't vote, and people thought wigs were cool. S...