Law Day to focus on Miranda, fairness

Every year since 1958, the nation has celebrated Law Day at the beginning of May. In Sussex County, the Sussex County Bar Association will celebrate Law Day on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m., at the historic Sussex County Court House in Newton. We invite all interested citizens to join us in this celebration of the rule of law.
Law Day provides an opportunity to commemorate our national ideals of liberty, justice, and equality under the law, and it affords us an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to these great principles. In order to mark the 50th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona, the American Bar Association has designated the theme of Law Day 2016 as “Miranda: More than Words.” In Miranda, the Supreme Court held that, in order to use statements made during a custodial interrogation in a later criminal proceeding, law enforcement officers must first advise a suspect of their constitutional rights. As a result of this case, police developed the Miranda warning, which ensures that people questioned by police are aware of their right to refrain from speaking to police, as well as their right to first consult an attorney.
The Miranda warning has become so ingrained in our popular culture and consciousness that many of us know all or some of its words; starting with, “You have the right to remain silent.” Yet, as the Law Day theme implies, there is much more to Miranda than the words of the warning: It has become a living symbol of the importance of procedural fairness and equal justice under the law in our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, the nation still faces many challenges in striving to achieve our national pledge of “justice for all.” These include dealing with racial and other disparities in the justice system, disproportionate sentencing, and inadequately funded public-defender systems. The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Miranda v. Arizona, as well as the practice, precedent and principles it engendered, remind us that as a nation of laws we can and must do better; the United States Constitution, as well as our cherished national principles, compel and encourage us all to support and strive for justice.
This Law Day, let us reflect on the importance of our constitutional rights, promote public awareness and understanding of those rights, and commit ourselves to the work that remains to be done in ensuring that we have a criminal justice system that is fair and just for all Americans.
John D. Williams, Esq.
President, Sussex County Bar Association