Bill of Rights

Constitution

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What is the importance of the Bill of Rights?

• The Bill of Rights protects civil liberties.– Civil liberties—freedoms to think and act without

government interference or fear of unfair treatment

– Individual Liberties – cannot be taken away from you.

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What freedoms does the First Amendment guarantee?

• Freedom of religion• Freedom of speech• Freedom of the press• Freedom of assembly• Freedom of petition

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What are the limits to First Amendment freedoms?

• Compelling public interest—the safety and security of Americans

• Free speech does not include– Inciting a riot– Spreading lies in speech or printed matter

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How are other rights protected?

• The Second Amendment – Allows individual citizens to keep and bear arms– Allows militia members to bear arms

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How are other rights protected? (cont’d)

• The Third Amendment– Requires consent for soldiers to move into private

home during peacetime– Requires that Congress authorize the practice in

times of war

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How are the rights of the accused protected?

• The Fourth Amendment – Protects against unreasonable search and seizure

• The Fifth Amendment – Requires indictment for serious federal crime– Protects against double jeopardy– Protects against self-incrimination– Limits governmental power of eminent domain

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How are the rights of the accused protected? (cont’d)

• The Sixth Amendment – Requires informing accused of charges– Guarantees trial by jury– Guarantees right to a lawyer

• The Eighth Amendment– Allows for bail– Forbids cruel and unusual punishment

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How are other rights protected? (cont’d)

• The Seventh Amendment– Concerns civil cases– Guarantees jury trial if amount of money involved

is more than $20– Does not require jury trial; dispute may be decided

by a judge

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How are other rights protected? (cont’d)

• The Ninth Amendment– Guarantees additional unwritten rights to citizens

• The Tenth Amendment – Reserves any powers not given to the federal

government to the states