What makes a confession admissible?

• A. When a valid Miranda is given and a valid rights waiver is signed
• B. When the confession is voluntary
• C. When police obtain a search warrant
• D. When there is probable cause

Answer: (A)

Confessions are admissible when the person was clearly informed of their rights under Miranda and then knowingly and voluntarily waived those rights before being questioned. Miranda warnings are meant to prevent custodial interrogations from producing statements the person wouldn’t have made otherwise, by ensuring they understand they can halt questioning and seek legal counsel. A valid rights waiver shows the person understood these rights and chose to speak anyway. When this process is properly followed, the confession is admitted, assuming there’s no other reason to suppress it for coercion or other constitutional issues.

Simply being voluntary isn’t enough if the warnings weren’t given in the first place, and a search warrant or probable cause doesn’t directly authorize the admission of a confession.