Recent calls for justice reform have put a spotlight on how the police enforce the law in the United States. How a person's constitutional rights may be legally thwarted during police interrogation, however, has not been part of any meaningful discussion on police reform. This novel book examines the intersections of the law and policing discourse through the detailed analysis of a large corpus of United States federal court rulings, starting with Miranda v. Arizona (1966). It covers a wide range of topics, including the history of police interrogation in the United States, the role of federal law in handicapping a person's ability to invoke their right to counsel, and the invocation game of police interrogation that may lead a variety of suspects to change their discursive preferences. It highlights the need for American police interrogation reform, exploring the paths taken by other jurisdictions outside of the United States. This title is part of the Flip it Open programme and may also be available on open access. Check our website, Cambridge Core, for details.

‘This work provides an in-depth analysis of police interrogations over time and proposes a new innovative methodology for their analysis. Undoubtedly, a great contribution to the judicial world.’

Sheila Queralt - Forensic Linguist, Director at Laboratorio SQ-Lingüistas Forenses

‘This book is an excellent analysis of Miranda v. Arizona, the laws developed in response to Miranda, and police application of Miranda in interrogation/interview practices. The corpus of federal cases that the author creates captures the depth and breadth of the issue, and the analysis is both sharp edged and crystal clear. It is written in an accessible style with many examples and careful explanations that make it excellent for classroom applications. The implications of this research will have major social ramifications as police reform continues to develop and unfold.’

Jennifer Andrus - Professor, Department of Writing and Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah