Bruce Fein

In 1966 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that police officers must inform all arrested suspects of their rights prior to questioning. Bruce Fein argues in the following viewpoint that if the suspect voluntarily offers a confession to the police before the Miranda warning is given, the confession should be admissible in court. Prohibiting the admission of the confession during the trial thwarts justice, he contends, and has a minimal impact on a suspect’s civil liberties. Fein, a former associate deputy U.S. attorney, is now in private practice specializing in constitutional law.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What evidence does Fein present to support his contention that abolishing the Miranda warning will not lead to coerced confessions?
2. According to the author, which...