United States v. Pacheco-Alvarez

OPINION & ORDER

ALGENON L. MARBLEY, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This is a story about law-enforcement officers who take shortcuts in their zeal to make arrests and the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution, which prohibit them from doing so.

The defendant, Martin Ivan Pacheeo-Alvarez, was entitled to Miranda warnings before immigration officers interrogated him on the side of the highway. Their failure to provide those warnings requires suppression of any statements he made about his immigration status. Pacheco’s warrantless arrest, which was not supported by probable…