A GROUP OF 396 SUBJECTS, SELECTED THROUGH STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING, WAS INSTRUCTED TO ANSWER 28 FORCED-CHOICE QUESTIONS ON POLICE AND COURT PROCEDURES AND 6 GUTTMAN-TYPE SCALE QUESTIONS ON ATTITUDES TOWARD AUTHORITY, ALL PRESENTED IN THE CONTEXT OF A BRIEF SCENARIO. IN ADDITION, QUESTIONS FROM THE RUNDQUIST-SLETTO RESPECT FOR LAW SCALE WERE USED TO ASSESS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE SYSTEM. SUBJECTS WERE ALSO ASKED TO INDICATE AGE, SEX, RACE, AND PREVIOUS ARRESTS. SEVERAL QUESTIONS WERE IDENTIFIED AS APPLICATIONS OF THE MIRANDA DECISION, AND THE HYPOTHESIS WAS CONFIRMED THAT THESE WOULD BE MOST OFTEN ANSWERED CORRECTLY BY ALL SUBJECTS. SUBJECTS WERE GROUPED BY PERSONAL INDICATORS SUCH AS AGE. ON ONLY 27 PERCENT OF THE INFORMATION ITEMS DID ANY ONE GROUP ACHIEVE 30 PERCENT OR LESS CORRECT RESPONSE RATE. KNOWLEDGE OF COURT PROCEDURES APPEARED TO BE PARTICULARLY HIGH AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION. RESPONDENTS IN GENERAL SEEMED TO BE WELL AWARE OF THEIR MIRANDA RIGHTS. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT BY RELYING ON INFORMAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT ITS ROLE, THE COURT DOES NOT MEET ITS OBLIGATION TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--VDA)