87-Year-Old Retired Phoenix Police Officer in Landmark Miranda Rights Case Passes Away

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Retired Police Captain Involved in Landmark Miranda Rights Case Passes Away at 87 in Phoenix

PHOENIX (AP) — Carroll Cooley, a retired police captain from Phoenix who played a pivotal role in the landmark Miranda rights case that established the requirement for suspects to be read their rights, has passed away, confirmed the department on Friday. Cooley, aged 87, died on May 29 after an undisclosed illness. Details regarding the location and cause of death, as well as information about funeral services and surviving family members, have not yet been made available.

Cooley joined the Phoenix Police Department in 1958 and served for two decades before retiring. On March 13, 1963, he arrested Ernesto Miranda for the abduction and sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman in Phoenix. Miranda was later convicted based on his handwritten confession and sentenced to 20-30 years in prison. However, Miranda appealed the conviction, leading the case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 1966 ruling, the Supreme Court overturned Miranda’s conviction, declaring that suspects must be informed of their constitutional rights against self-incrimination and their right to an attorney prior to being interrogated.

This landmark decision, along with three other related cases, resulted in what is commonly known as the “Miranda rights” or “Miranda warning,” familiar to many from police procedural shows. It begins with the phrase, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” The warning continues, “You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, an attorney will be appointed for you.”

After his conviction was overturned, Miranda remained in prison for another offense and was subsequently convicted again for the rape and abduction of the 18-year-old woman. However, this time, the prosecution did not use his confession as evidence and relied on testimony from a witness closely associated with Miranda. Following his parole, Miranda was tragically stabbed to death in February 1976 during a dispute at a downtown Phoenix bar.

During his tenure with the Phoenix Police Department, Cooley served in various roles, including the Maryvale precinct, the general investigations bureau, and the police academy. He eventually rose to the rank of captain, equivalent to the rank of commander today, according to the department. Upon retiring from the police force in December 1978, Cooley went on to work for the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Additionally, he dedicated his time as a volunteer at the Phoenix Police Museum, where in 2013, he shared his story as part of a 50th-anniversary exhibition commemorating the Miranda arrest.

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