When must Miranda rights be read to a suspect?

Miranda rights must be read to a suspect before any questioning during an arrest to ensure that the individual is aware of their rights under the Fifth Amendment, which protects against self-incrimination, and the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to counsel. This requirement arises from the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Miranda v. Arizona, which established that if a suspect is in custody and subject to interrogation, they must be informed of their rights to remain silent and to have an attorney present.

Reading the Miranda warnings serves to protect the validity of any statements made by the suspect during the interrogation process. If the warnings are not provided, any statements made may be deemed inadmissible in court. This is a critical safeguard in the criminal justice system, emphasizing the importance of the suspect's awareness and understanding of their rights before engaging in any formal questioning.

The other scenarios presented in the question do not meet the criteria established by the Miranda ruling. For example, reading rights after conviction would be moot since the individual is no longer being questioned in the context of obtaining a confession or making a statement in the course of an investigation. Similarly, during a Terry stop, which is a brief, investigatory stop based on reasonable suspicion, officers are not required to inform a