Study Notes on Constitutional Rights and Key Cases

Government's role is to protect citizens from itself and ensure individual rights.
The Bill of Rights outlines personal freedoms against government overreach.

Second Amendment: Right to bear arms; originally to protect colonists from British invaders.
Third Amendment: Prohibits quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime.
Fourth Amendment: Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures; requires probable cause and a warrant.
Fifth Amendment: Right to legal representation and protection against self-incrimination.
Sixth Amendment: Right to a jury trial by peers.
Eighth Amendment: Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment; definitions may vary by state.
Ninth and Tenth Amendments: Rights not listed are retained by the people and states can establish their own rights.

Mapp v. Ohio: Established the exclusionary rule; evidence obtained without a warrant cannot be used in court, reinforcing Fourth Amendment rights at state level.
Wolf v. Colorado: Addressed incorporation; Fourth Amendment applies to states but excluded the exclusionary rule.
Due Process Revolution: Changes in police procedures and enforcement of rights post-Mapp decision.

Respects individual privacy against excessive governmental searches; necessity of obtaining warrants to enforce rights.
Privacy expectations extend to various contexts, including technology and public spaces.
The exclusionary rule serves to uphold the rights protected by the Fourth Amendment, preventing unconstitutionally obtained evidence from being used in court.