Jose Padilla Finally Sees a Lawyer

Seems pretty clear to me:

Miranda vs. Arizona, 1966




• You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions.

• Anything you do or say may be used against you in a court of law.

• You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to
  the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in
  the future.
  
• If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish.

• If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney
  present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time
  until you talk to an attorney.
  
• Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained
  them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney
  present?

After nearly 2 years, American citizen Jose Padilla has finally been granted access to a lawyer:

Jose Padilla, the American arrested in an alleged al-Qaida
plot to set off a radioactive "dirty bomb," was allowed to meet with
lawyers Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years. The U.S.
government has designated Padilla an "enemy combatant," meaning he can
be held indefinitely without access to lawyers. But the government
relented last month, just days before the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to
hear his case. Donna R. Newman, one of the attorneys for Padilla, said
there was a video camera present and military personnel looked on from
an adjoining room during the three-hour meeting at the Navy brig near
Charleston. "I'm not saying we were not thrilled to see him, but it was
not by any stretch of the imagination" a typical lawyer-client meeting
held in confidence, Newman said. Newman said there was no discussion
about specifics of the case. "It was an informational meeting only -
our information for him," she said. She added: "It's hard to say what
his spirits were, but he was very happy to see us." Newman said there
were no assurances the government would allow another meeting.

Posted by flow Frazao on March 3, 2004 at 09:32 PM | Permalink