When police fail to inform suspects of their Miranda rights, are they guilty of a crime? Can they be sued?

In most situations, the only recourse a defendant has when police have questioned him in custody without informing him of his Miranda rights is to attempt to have his answers kept out of evidence in any resulting trial. If the questioning was accomplished by force or fear, a defendant may have a civil claim that his civil rights were violated, but such claims are rarely brought and very difficult to win.