TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ The Florida Supreme Court says police don't need to explicitly tell suspects they can have a lawyer with them when being questioned. Thursday's decision on Miranda warnings in a pair of opinions follows the U.S. Supreme Court's lead in one of those cases.
The federal justices ruled a warning that suspects have a right to talk to a lawyer before questioning and can use their rights any time during their interviews is sufficient under the U.S. Constitution.
The Florida justices ruled that warning also complies with the state constitution in upholding a Tampa firearms possession conviction.
They also approved a Polk County warning that only says a suspect has a right to a lawyer before questioning. That decision restored Thomas Rigterink's murder conviction and death sentence.
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