Berghuis v. Thompkins Landmark Case
Storyboard Text
- Yes...
- Do you think God will forgive you?
- I find you guilty of possession of firearms and first degree murder. Life in prison without parole
- In the case Berghuis v. Thompkins, Van Chester Thompkins was charged and sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting in Southfield, Michigan that took place on January 10, 2000. The police read him right to remain silent guaranteed by the 5th amendment. When being interrogated, he never invoked those rights but remained silent throughout the entire process. A police officer asked him if God would forgive him for the shooting and Thompkins replied with a Yes. This would be used as admission of guilt and he would be charged. He would go on to appeal multiple times that his rights were violated but was denied multiple times. This case would later make its way to the supreme court and would end in a 5-4 decision to uphold the ruling on the bases that he never invoked his right to remain silent and did throw that away when he spoke. This case reiterates the guidelines that must be followed in order to invoke your right to remain silent and how the right is to be used.
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