Once again, Detectives Dave and Dan take a deep dive into case law that governs how law enforcement operates in this country. Today, they discuss Brewer v. Williams, which is better known as “The Christian Burial Speech”. It’s a fascinating and disturbing tale about the limits of interrogation after a suspect invokes his right to counsel: even when, or especially when, the stakes are incredibly high.

If you’ve ever watched a television crime drama, chances are you could recite the Miranda warning by heart. Today, Detectives Dan and Dave continue their law enforcement briefing with a review of the case that brought us the Miranda warning: Miranda v. Arizona. The detectives also delve into a precursor case, Escobedo v. Illinois, which helped define what rights a person has when they’re arrested.

In today’s briefing, we discuss the case law that defines what is considered reasonable when a police officer uses force. These cases are used by departments nationwide as a foundation for use of force policies. The two specific cases you’ll hear about today, if you want to read further, are Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Connor.

Over the next few weeks, we’re sharing a few episodes of The Briefing Room. The series began on our Patreon feed but is going to become a brand new show in January. Today, we discuss situational awareness: Detective Dave and Detective Dan talk about ways to increase your safety by paying closer attention to what’s going on around you.