Legal Definitions - noncustodial interrogation

Definition:Noncustodialinterrogation refers to police questioning of a suspect who has not been detained and can leave at will. Miranda warnings are usually not given before a noncustodial interrogation.

Example: A police officer approaches a person on the street and asks if they have seen anything suspicious in the area. The person is free to leave and is not being detained, so this is an example of noncustodial interrogation.

Explanation: Noncustodial interrogation occurs when a suspect is not being held by the police and is free to leave at any time. In this example, the police officer is simply asking questions and not detaining the person, so Miranda warnings are not required.