Lawmaker wants to change Miranda warning for juveniles

A New York lawmaker wants to change the Miranda warning for juvenile defendants. Sen. Michael Gianaris recently introduced new legislation that would change the wording of the warning for juveniles.

News 12 Staff

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Feb 24, 2016, 2:19 AM

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Updated 3,228 days ago

A New York lawmaker wants to change the Miranda warning for juvenile defendants.

Sen. Michael Gianaris recently introduced new legislation that would change the wording of the warning for juveniles.

"They tend to waive their rights a lot more than adults would and tend to provide false statements more than adults would," he says.

The warning given by police was introduced after the Miranda vs. Arizona case of 1966.

Currently, officers say "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

The proposed change for juveniles would alter the wording to "You have the right to remain silent. That means you do not have to say anything."

Another proposed change is to how officers would say "You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you."

The proposal would change that to indicate that a juvenile has a right "to get help from a lawyer" and "that the court will provide one for free if the person can't afford one."

They would also be told "You have the right to stop this interview at any time."

Sen. Gianaris says he is in the process of talking to law enforcement officials for their takes on his proposal.