Overview of U.S. Constitutional Amendments and Rights

Amendment

Changes or additions made to the U.S Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S Constitution.

Libel

Tangible in form. Print, writing, or pictures. (ex. Magazine, internet, blog, article)

Slander

Intangible in form. Spoken words or gestures. (Ex. Speech, news broadcast.)

Defamation

To act on communicating false statements about a person that injure the reputation of a person.

Miranda Warning

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him present with you while you are being questioned.

First Amendment

Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly (protest), and petition.

Freedom to petition

Calling out the government to fix a problem or the job that they are doing.

Freedom of Assembly

Freedom to protest peacefully.

Second Amendment

The right to bear arms and weapons.

Third Amendment

Right to not quarter soldiers.

Fourth Amendment

Search and seizure. Officers MUST have a warrant unless: reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

Reasonable suspicion

To stop and frisk a person.

Probable Cause

For warrantless search or arrest.

Fifth Amendment

Right to remain silent. There are 6 parts.

Double jeopardy clause

Provision in the Bill of rights that protects accused individuals from being placed on trial twice for the same criminal offense (if not guilty).

Self-incrimination clause

You are under no legal responsibility to provide the police with any information other than your name, date of birth, and address.

Due process clause

Legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person.

Eminent domain clause

Protects you from the government seizing your private property unless they can prove that it's for the public good.

Sixth Amendment

Due process and rights including the right to a speedy and public trial.

Seventh Amendment

Trial by jury in civil cases where the claim exceeds a certain dollar value.

Eighth Amendment

No excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

Bail

An amount of money given to a court to allow a prisoner to leave jail and return later for a trial.

Bail reform

Changes to the criminal legal system to reduce unnecessary pretrial detention.

Ninth Amendment

Citizens are entitled to rights not listed in the constitution.

Tenth Amendment

Any powers not specifically given to the federal government, nor withheld from the states, are reserved to those respective states, or to the people at large.

Thirteenth Amendment

Abolishment of slavery. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude.

Fourteenth Amendment

No state shall make or enforce any law which denies to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Fifteenth Amendment

African American men are allowed to vote.

Nineteenth Amendment

Womens' suffrage.

Twenty Second Amendment

Prevents presidents from running more than 2 terms.

Twenty Fourth Amendment

Prevents people from paying poll taxes.

Poll Taxes

Used to keep low income people from voting.

Search and Seizure

Seizure is the act of taking possession of specific items found during that search that are believed to be related to a crime, while search refers to the act of law enforcement examining a person's property to look for evidence of a crime

Hate Speech

Offensive discourse that targets a group of people based on their characteristics such as race, religion, or gender that may threaten social peace.