Bill of Rights Project

By: Zach Bonzelaar & Cameron Agema

1st Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

In other words it means that government can’t pass a law that goes against our religion and beliefs.

Historical cases: Tinker v. Des Moines. In this case it says that people have the right to assembly and petition anything that they want to and that they believe in.

Current Events: COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal over a South Carolina program that allows high school students to earn elective credit toward graduation through off-campus religious courses.

2nd Amendment A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the

security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This states that people have the right to own guns and that the government can’t take that right away.

Historical cases: United states v. Miller. It was about a guy who had a gun but it wasn’t registered with the government.

Current news: In January 2011, a gunman in Tucson, Ariz., armed with a Glock semiautomatic, shot and killed six people and wounded 14 others.

3rd Amendment No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in

any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

This means that no one is required to keep a solider in their house in time of war.

There is no historic case for this amendment. Current news: there is not any because we don’t

have to worry about it because our soldiers are in other countries.

4th Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,

and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

This amendment protects all of our rights as humans and the government can’t take them away.

Historic case: Suspicious that Dollree Mapp might be hiding a person suspected in a bombing, the police went to her home in Cleveland, Ohio. They knocked on her door and demanded entrance, but Mapp refused to let them in because they did not have a warrant.

Current news: Kite viewed a text message on the phone, which was owned by Trisha Oliver, reading "Wat if I got 2 take him 2 da hospital wat do I say and dos marks on his neck omg." This is illegal because Kite didn’t have a warrant to check the phone in the first place.

5th Amendment No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,

unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

This amendment explains that no one should be subject to the same case twice and there is a time limit they just can’t sit in jail and wait their whole life.

Historical case: In this case a man (Miranda) was arrested and then his house was searched without a warrant. This went against the 5th amendment because his rights were not said to him. Which now has come out to be the Miranda rights.

Current events: Morris Plains man, who faces a civil lawsuit in the alleged shooting death of his girlfriend, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during pretrial questioning, according to court records.

Citation http://

www.firstamendmentcenter.org/high-court-wont-consider-challenge-to-s-c-religious-classes

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/gun_control/index.html

http://www.streetlaw.org/en/landmark/cases/mapp_v_ohio

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/09/police-seizure-of-text-messages-violated-4th-amendment-judge-rules/

http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/08/morris_plains_man_invokes_5th.html