Which statement best distinguishes an interview from a custodial interrogation?

• A. An interview is noncustodial informational questioning.
• B. An interview is custodial and subject to Miranda warnings.
• C. An interview always ends in arrest.
• D. An interview requires a written waiver.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is custody and the need for Miranda warnings. An interview is typically noncustodial and informational; the person isn’t in police custody and isn’t being pressured to speak about a crime. Because of that, Miranda warnings aren’t required during a ordinary interview. Custodial interrogation, by contrast, happens when someone is detained and questioned to obtain incriminating statements, and that is when warnings must be given.

So the best statement is that an interview is noncustodial informational questioning, not that it is custodial and subject to Miranda. The other ideas don’t fit: interviews don’t always end in arrest, and a written waiver of rights isn’t a universal requirement for an interview.