NOW --- "FBI" To DECIDE - Who Of Us - Should Be Deprived Of Miranda Rights

[kpete]

BREAKING!! White Terrorists to Be Treated Like Brown Terrorists!!
By: emptywheel Friday March 25, 2011 6:57 am


The memo laying out the change in procedures apparently doesn’t distinguish between foreign terrorists (that is, members of al Qaeda) and domestic terrorists (presumably including self-radicalized Muslims, but also white supremacists, and abortion doctor killers).

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/03/25/breaking-white-terrorists-to-be-treated-like-brown-terrorists/

Update: Also note that the text of the memo allows individual agents to decide whether someone should be deprived of their Miranda rights.

As noted above, if there is time to consult with FBI-HQ (including OGC) and Department of Justice attorneys regarding the interrogation strategy to be followed prior to reading the defendant his Miranda rights, the field office should endeavor to do so. Nevertheless, the agents on the scene who are interacting with the arrestee are in the best position to assess what questions are necessary to secure their safety and the safety of the public, and how long the post-arrest interview can practically be delayed while interrogation strategy is being discussed.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/us/25miranda-text.html

[librechik]

1. once again, children--NEVER SAY ANYTHING AT ALL to police acting like they are arresting you

without Miranda, that is still your best legal option. Pretend you are Gandhi and get ready for the worst.

[Poll_Blind]

2. +1

PB

[truebrit71]

3. Wow.

Just, wow.

[gratuitous]

4. What I like best about this is the double-speak rationale

From the Wall Street Journal's online article about this: "A Federal Bureau of Investigation memorandum reviewed by The Wall Street Journal says the policy applies to 'exceptional cases' where investigators 'conclude that continued unwarned interrogation is necessary to collect valuable and timely intelligence not related to any immediate threat.' Such action would need prior approval from FBI supervisors and Justice Department lawyers, according to the memo, which was issued in December but not made public."

Now, if someone would be so good as to tell me why it "is necessary to collect valuable and timely intelligence," but that "timely intelligence" is "not related to any immediate threat," I would greatly appreciate it. How can it be "timely" if the threat is not "immediate"? This is a recipe for doing either absolutely nothing or absolutely everything. I wonder on which side of the question this will fall? The suspense is almost too much!

[Demeter]

5. In a Way, This Is Progress

at least I think it is...equality before the law, and all that.

[TBF]

6. My bet, based on history, is that this will be used to lock up

anti-war protestors.

[EFerrari]

7. And independent journalists. Yup. n/t

[Dawson Leery]

8. Again, why one should stay away from law "enforcement".