Basic Information
Name: Alvin Moore
Nickname: Attorney of Ernie
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: Public Defense Attorney
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Friends: Ernesto Miranda, Earl Warren
Foes: Phoenix district court
Analysis
Alvin Moore gets the claim to fame as the lawyer who made the Miranda Warning possible. Well, to be fair, he shares that claim to fame with Ernesto Miranda's second lawyer, John Flynn. But hey, let's give the guy his due.
Like the teacher telling you to help the kids in class who are struggling with their math homework, Moore was appointed by the county to be Miranda's lawyer about one month after Miranda was interrogated and confessed to his crimes. Talk about fighting a losing battle…
Except that Moore didn't lose.
Well, he did, and then he didn't…and then ultimately Miranda still got his jail sentence. Moore deserves credit for pushing back against the legal system by saying that Miranda's confession should not be used in court, as Miranda was never told about his Fifth Amendment right to silence nor his Sixth Amendment right to a lawyer. That argument pushed the case to the Arizona Supreme Court, and that's where Moore's story ends; he was replaced by John Flynn due to health concerns. So give the guy a shout-out. The Supremes may have sealed the deal, but it was Moore who got the ball rolling.