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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING MAY 1, 2016 AS NATIONAL LAW DAY
WHEREAS, Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share; and
WHEREAS, Law Day has its origin in 1957, when American Bar Association (ABA) President Charles S. Rhyne envisioned a special day for celebrating our legal system; and
WHEREAS, on February 3, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established Law Day by issuing a Proclamation proclaiming it "fitting that the people of this Nation should remember with pride and vigilantly guard the great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to us." Every President since has issued an annual Law Day Proclamation; and
WHEREAS, on April 7, 1961, Congress passed a Joint Resolution, designating May 1 as Law Day. The theme of Law Day 2016 is "Miranda: More than Words"; and
WHEREAS, the year 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone in legal history, the United States Supreme Court’s landmark 1966 decision in Miranda v. Arizona. In Miranda, the Supreme Court held that the state may not use statements stemming from custodial interrogation of a suspect in police custody unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the privilege against self-incrimination; and
WHEREAS, the Miranda decision put forth the rule that requires the police to provide legal warning to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated. This legal warning apprises suspects of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and their right to appointed counsel in cases where they cannot afford an attorney; and
WHEREAS, the Miranda Warning has become one of the nation's most recognizable legal expressions and a symbol of procedural fairness; and
WHEREAS, the criminal justice system still faces many challenges and we rededicate ourselves to the goal of ensuring that all are aware of their rights and have the opportunity to exercise them in a meaningful manner; and
WHEREAS, this Law Day provides an opportunity to understand the procedural protections afforded to all by the U.S. Constitution and how these rights are safeguarded by the courts and why the preservation of these principles is essential to our liberty.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby recognize May 1, 2016 as National Law Day and its theme of "Miranda: More than Words"; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Cook County Law Library will celebrate the Law Day by continuing in its mission of providing legal information resources as a component of access to justice to ensure that all can explore and discover their legal rights.
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