Basic Information
Name: John J. Flynn
Nickname: Flynn It To Win It
Born: January 24th, 1925
Died: January 26th, 1980
Nationality: U.S.A.
Hometown: Tortilla Flat, Arizona (seriously)
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: Criminal Defense Lawyer
Education: University of Arizona Law
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: His father was a union organizer; his mother died when John was 10 years old
Spouse: Kathy
Children: Four
Friends: Ernesto Miranda, Alvin Moore, Earl Warren
Foes: Justice Harlan, Justice White
Analysis
Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at one of the "ten people who changed the way you live but you have never heard of " (source).
Kind of a clunky title, but hey, can't win 'em all.
Bottom line: make sure to give a silent thank-you to Mr. Flynn the next time you're being read your rights. Which will be never, obvs.
Flynn was a charismatic, photographic memory-wielding lawyer in Arizona who took Ernesto Miranda's case from local crime trial to SCOTUS case.
Some fun facts about Flynn's life:
- He lied about his age to get into the military during World War II (where he was injured twice).
- He got through law school with a straight-C average.
- He was a marathon Vegas gambler.
- He prospected for emeralds in Ecuador, owned a pecan farm, knew how to brand cattle, and was married four times.
Anyone have the movie rights to that?
But Flynn got serious on the job in Arizona, where he developed a reputation as the best criminal defense lawyer in the business there, maybe ever.
The case that rocketed Flynn to big-time recognition (at least in Arizona) involved the abduction of a very wealthy woman named Evelyn Smith in 1952. Flynn successfully defended the man accused of kidnapping her, and thanks to the trial, the Arizona court created a rule that said if you refuse to be a witness against yourself (as in, confess to something), that refusal cannot be used as a point against you in court. Flynn successfully argued that you can freely refuse to answer questions and that it won't come back to bite you.
Flynn's desire to protect people who might be lost in the legal system (because of, say, ignorance of their rights) led to his involvement in his claim to fame, Miranda v. Arizona. He argued in front of the Supreme Court that most people brought in front of the police are immediately at a disadvantage, and therefore need to be protected so that they're not taken advantage of. He gave a passionate speech concerning the rights and protections of suspects in custody, and the Supreme Court was impressed (well, the majority of it). You can see Flynn's influence when you read Warren's Opinion, particularly the part about the "inherent pressures" of the custody environment.
Oh, and Flynn's law firm went on to represent Ernesto Miranda in his later run-ins with the law (source). He didn't charge him a cent.