Gianaris introduces juvenile Miranda warning legislation

Flickr/Ethan

State Senator Michael Gianaris introduced a bill in Albany that would require police officers to provide a “plain language description” of Miranda rights to juvenile defendants under the age of 18.

Cops would have to receive “affirmative consent” before proceeding with the arrest.

“Miranda rights are worthless unless they are understood by the arrested individual,” Gianaris said. “Statistics make clear too many underage New Yorkers are waiving their Constitutional rights because they do not comprehend them.”

Gianaris cited that of the 1 million juveniles charged nationally, only 10 percent were found to exercise their Miranda rights.

The proposal would make the Miranda warning vocabulary at an elementary school reading level.

Gianaris has called for other types of criminal just reforms, including eliminating cash bail in the state and proposing an innocence commission to review wrongful convictions.