Court Opinion

ID: 9426140
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:16:57.596385+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:59.268011
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice White,
concurring in the judgment.
I am no more enthusiastic about Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436 (1966), now than I was when that decision was announced. But when a person under arrest is informed, as Miranda requires, that he may remain silent, that anything he says may be used against him, and that he may have an attorney if he wishes, it seems to me that it does not comport with due process to permit the prosecution during the trial to call attention to his *183silence at the time of arrest and to insist that because he did not speak about the facts of the case at that time, as he was told he need not do, an unfavorable inference might be drawn as to the truth of his trial testimony. Cf. Johnson v. United States, 318 U. S. 189, 196-199 (1943). Surely Hale was not informed here that his silence, as well as his words, could be used against him at trial. Indeed, anyone would reasonably conclude from Miranda warnings that this would not be the case. I would affirm on this ground.