Essay on "Chavez v. Martinez Case"

Essay 3 pages (1028 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Martinez -- 538" par, 1).

The trial court ruled that the petitioner was not permitted qualified immunity because his actions violated Martinez's Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The District Court's ruling was upheld by the appellate court, which argued that Chavez's coercive interrogation infringed Martinez rights though his statements were not used against him in a criminal case. The appellate court stated that an officer violates due process when he receives a confession through coercive conduct despite of whether the confession is eventually used at trial.

In a divided decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Martinez's Fifth Amendment rights had not been infringed. Moreover, another panel of juries in this court reasoned that a violation of the right can be demonstrated if Martinez could prove that his constitutional guarantee was placed at risk. The dissenting opinion from Justice Stevens argued that the hospital interrogation could be compared to a confession obtained through torture. However, the entire panel of judges concurred that Martinez could pursue a claim of liability for a due process infringement on remand.

Impact of the Decision:

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in this case has had significant impacts on the interview and/or interrogation process by police officers. Actually, the decision has contributed to numerous disagreements among lower federal courts regarding when a criminal case begins. In this case, these courts disagree on whether a criminal case means a trial or whether it includes other kinds of proceedings before or during trial. Through the ruling, the Self-incrimination Clause is not only a command directed at the judiciary but also means that FBI agents and other executive professionals should not compel a suspect to make a self-incriminating statement. These executives violate the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment rights if egregious actions are used to elicit a confession (Cohen, p.928). However, the ruling implies that holding an officer civilly liable for failing to administer Miranda warnings during legal arrest is extreme and unwarranted; particularly if no criminal case is instituted against the individual.

In conclusion, the ruling in Chavez v. Martinez by the United States Supreme Court is a lawsuit with significant impacts on interview and/or interrogation. Even though the ruling was a split decision, it shows that police officers may not be held civilly liable for failing to provide Miranda warnings during interrogations if no criminal case is instituted against the suspect.

Works Cited:

"Chavez v. Martinez - 538 U.S. 760 (2003)." Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center. Justia, Oct. 2002. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. .

"Chavez v. Martinez." Casebriefs - Bloomberg Law. Casebriefs LLC, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. .

COHEN, THEA A. "Self-Incrimination and Separation of Powers." THE GEORGETOWN LAW JOURNAL 100.895 (2012): 895-928. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. .

Manak, James P. "Potential Civil Liability for Coercive Interrogations." AELE Alert Training Bulletin. AELE Law Enforcement Legal Center, Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. . READ MORE

How to Reference "Chavez v. Martinez Case" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Fact Pattern Case Study

Pattern

Case Study (Fact Pattern)

Criminal activities have been on the rise in many states of the United States. To control such criminals from going unpunished in the society, the… read more

Case Study 9 pages (2946 words) Sources: 9 Topic: Crime / Police / Criminal Justice

---

Miranda v. Arizona Case Brief Case Name Term Paper

Miranda v. Arizona Case Brief

Case Name: Miranda v. Arizona

384 U.S. 436

Decided: 1966

Character: Defendant Miranda sought review of the decision of the Supreme Court of Arizona, which… read more

Term Paper 6 pages (1924 words) Sources: 2 Style: APA Topic: Law / Legal / Jurisprudence

---

Supreme Court Case Coker v. Georgia Research Paper

Supreme Court Case:

According to the United States Constitution, any state legislature or Congress may prescribe capital punishment or the death penalty for capital offenses or murder. This is especially… read more

Research Paper 3 pages (1051 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Crime / Police / Criminal Justice

---

Gonzaga v. Doe Case Name Term Paper

Gonzaga v. Doe Case

CASE NAME: GONZAGA UNIVERSITY et al. v. DOE No. 01 -- 679.

Argued April 24, 2002-Decided June 20, 2002

CAUSE of ACTION: Non-receipt of an affidavit… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (581 words) Sources: 0 Style: APA Topic: Law / Legal / Jurisprudence

---

Dyslexia of 8-Year-Old Boy Case Study

Case Study 8-year-Old With Dyslexia

Second Grade 8-year-old Dyslexic Child

Brief History of Child

Jefferey (8) a student in the second grade was recognized by his classroom teacher in the… read more

Case Study 7 pages (3291 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>