Quiz 2 Study Guide

Due process

A legal principle ensuring fair treatment through the judicial system, guaranteeing legal proceedings are conducted according to established rules and principles.

Exclusionary rule

A legal principle that prohibits the use of evidence obtained in violation of a person's constitutional rights, particularly the Fourth Amendment.

Grand jury

A legal body that investigates potential criminal conduct and determines whether there is enough evidence to charge a suspect with a crime.

Double jeopardy

A legal concept protecting an individual from being tried twice for the same crime after an acquittal or conviction.

Self-incrimination

The act of implicating oneself in a crime; the Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination allowing individuals to refuse to answer potentially incriminating questions.

Miranda rules

Legal guidelines requiring law enforcement to inform individuals of their rights during custodial interrogations.

Eminent domain

The power of the government to take private property for public use with compensation; rooted in the Fifth Amendment.

Right to counsel

The legal principle guaranteeing individuals the right to have an attorney present during criminal proceedings.

Cruel and unusual punishments

Penalties considered inhumane, degrading, or excessive in relation to the offense committed, prohibited under the Eighth Amendment.

Right to privacy

An inferred right from the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, concerning the individual's autonomy over personal matters.

De jure discrimination

Discrimination that is encoded in law or policy, mandating unequal treatment based on characteristics like race.

De facto discrimination

Discrimination that occurs in practice, despite not being legally sanctioned.

Civil War Amendments

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments aimed at abolishing slavery, guaranteeing equal protection under the law, and ensuring voting rights for African-American men.

Equal Protection Clause

A provision of the 14th Amendment ensuring no state shall deny any person equal protection of the laws.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation aimed at eliminating discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation aimed at eliminating barriers to voting for African Americans and ensuring equal access to the electoral process.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Legislation prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public life.

Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Landmark case ruling that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in state courts.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established the requirement for law enforcement to inform individuals of their rights while in custody.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, legitimizing Jim Crow laws.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, catalyzing the Civil Rights Movement.

Loving v. Virginia (1967)

Struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage, declaring them unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.