The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that suspects cannot sue a police officer for damages if they are not warned about their right to remain silent before being questioned.
In a 6-3 vote, the Justices sided with a sheriff’s deputy that a Los Angeles hospital worker sued for failing to read a Miranda warning after being accused of sexually assaulting a patient, the Associated Press reported.
The court ruled that although Miranda rights protect constitutional rights, the warning itself is not a right that could be brought about in a civil lawsuit, CNN reported.
In his majority opinion, Justice Samuel Alito stated that “a violation of Miranda is not itself a violation of the Fifth Amendment,” nor do “we see no justification for expanding Miranda to confer a right to sue" under Section 1983.
Those for it, including Justice Elena Kagan, wrote that the decision “prevents individuals from obtaining any redress when police violate their rights under Miranda.”
