Appellate attorney Carole Stanyar spoke after the Michigan Supreme Court declared Altantawi’s statements to police inadmissible. Prosecutors had conceded the teen endured a “custodial interrogation” at his home without being advised of his Miranda rights to an attorney and to remain silent when questioned.
“He’s a juvenile. He’s surrounded by detectives who have basically taken over his home. He’s isolated from family (with) no Miranda warnings.
“The detectives feed him facts, saying that they know this and they know that already. The detectives repeatedly suggest to Muhammad how it happened. He repeatedly says, ‘But I don’t know what happened.’ He finally breaks down crying and says ‘Tell me what you want me to say and I’ll say it.’ That interrogation explains the decisions in this case.”