There is no requirement that police stop a person who enters a police station and states that he wishes to confess a crime or a person who calls the police to offer a confession because volunteered statements of any kind are not barred by the 5th Amendment.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Voluntary confessions given without police coercion are not protected by the Fifth Amendment.
- In plain terms
- You can speak to police freely if you choose to.
- What can you take from it?
- The right to remain silent applies to interrogation, not voluntary talks.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is it safe to talk to police?
- What are your legal rights?
Another view
Volunteering info can still harm a case.
More from Earl Warren
The police must obey the law while enforcing the law.
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