Miranda warnings to suspects who are arrested and questioned are not complete unless officers include the detail that attorneys can be in the room before and during interrogations.
The court ruled that police interviews with a murder suspect can’t be used because their Miranda warning fell short.
Michael Lavigne is the suspect’s attorney. He says that’s an important protection.
“The right explicitly must include the right to have that attorney present before and during interrogations, as opposed to just at some future point.”
The court said failing to include that means some suspects won’t have a full, meaningful understanding of their Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution.
The appeals court panel delivered a two-to-one split decision. The Oakland County prosecutor could challenge the decision to the state Supreme Court