Miranda Warnings Probed by Supreme Court in Police-Suit Case (1)

A civil-rights lawsuit against an officer who failed to give Miranda warnings led the Supreme Court to examine the nature of its landmark ruling that, as Justice Elena Kagan said, is central to people’s understanding of the law.

Lawyers sparred at argument on Wednesday over how to classify Miranda and subsequent precedents, namely whether they provide a constitutional right.

How the justices answer the question will affect whether people can sue officers who fail to give those self-incrimination warnings and, in the process, the court can issue its latest pronouncement on the 1966 ruling.

Miranda v. Arizona was one of ...