Unfortunately, this isn't about haves and have nots in this aspect. In this country NO ONE has to talk to police. No one. Even if they KNOW you are guilty. The Miranda Rights start out the same for all, rich or poor: "You have the right to remain silent.." As much as police (and the rest of the public) would want JR and BR to be forced to talk to them or take a polygraph test, it won't happen unless they volunteer to do so, and I think we all know that isn't happening either.
Dee Dee, the police have the right to bring folks in for questioning. That doesn't mean they have to answer anything. Yes, there are Miranda rights, but LE has always had the right to question individuals. It just seems to be that in this case they never honestly exercised those rights, up to and including to this day. In this country, the only citizens who get the same treatment are those who can afford it.
This is a long article, but it doesn't say that suspects have a right to refuse police questions, but can refuse to answer. The R's were not named as suspects, so their Miranda rights were not in play.
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_warning[/ame]
>snip<
The Supreme Court did not specify the exact wording to use when informing a suspect of their rights. However, the Court did create a set of guidelines that must be followed. The ruling states:
...The person in custody must, prior to interrogation, be clearly informed that he or she has the right to remain silent, and that anything the person says will be used against that person in court; the person must be clearly informed that he or she has the right to consult with an attorney and to have that attorney present during questioning, and that, if he or she is indigent, an attorney will be provided at no cost to represent her or him.
There is a lot more information, but by not being a suspect and not being willing to talk to police, wouldn't that be obstruction of justice?
I can't seem to get past the belief that the R's were treated differently due to their 'status' in the community. The BPD spoke immediately with suspects, why did the R's stall from the beginning? Why did they refuse to meet with LE for 4 months?