Q: On Law and Order, the police always read the suspects their rights when they handcuff them. Does that really happen?
A: It's a Law and Order gimmick. Going back to when I kept the community safe (a frightening thought) and worked on the Warrants Squad, we were always taught to keep our mouths shut when making an arrest but to listen carefully to whatever the suspect had to say. As long as we weren't asking questions, any statements they made about their crimes were considered voluntary admissions. If I remember correctly, the law says the popularly known "Miranda" rule only applies to in custody interrogations. As a Warrants guy, all I did was arrest the bad guys. Wasn't my job to question them.
Something else the L and O cops do when making an arrest made me laugh the first time I heard it. You'll notice they always say something like, "John Smith you're under arrest for..." Not a bad idea. I came this/close to arresting the wrong guy once. Had him almost hooked up and something told me to make sure he was the guy named on the warrant. I asked, "Are you John Guiltyguy Smith?" Nope. Turned out he was John Dumbunny Smith. Afterward I always wondered why he didn't say anything until I asked. Must have felt guilty about somethin' else...
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