Individual Rights

What are individual rights? Individual Rights: your rights as an individual person as opposed to your rights as a member of a group.

You have many rights that are guaranteed to you in The Constitution of the United States

But what is the Constitution? The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the US

Six Key Constitutional Principles Popular Sovereignty Separation of Powers Limited Government Government of the people, by the people, and for the people 3 separate branches of government: Executive Judicial Legislative No one is above the law

Six Key Constitutional Principles Checks and Balances Judicial review Federalism Each branch of government has oversight of the others The power of the courts to determine constitutionality The sharing of power between the states and the federal government With the federal government supreme

But what about your rights as citizens?

Many individual rights are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to The Constitution

The Bill of Rights were a result of many intellectual battles between these two men and others Thomas Jefferson Anti-Federalist Alexander Hamilton Federalist

The Bill of Rights Amendment 1 Amendment 2 Amendment 3 Amendment 4 freedom of religion, speech, press and to peacefully assemble. right to keep and bear arms. protection from having soldiers camped in your house. no unreasonable search and seizure. right to due process of law and no double jeopardy.

The Bill of Rights Amendment 6 Amendment 7 Amendment 8 Amendment 9 right to a trial by jury for alleged criminals. right to a trial by jury for civil affairs. freedom from cruel and unusual punishment. protection of other rights not listed in the Bill of Rights. states and citizens retain powers not given to the federal government.

Your Rights in Practice

In 1995 OJ Simpson was found not guilty of killing his wife Nicole Brown Simpson

In 2006 Simpson wrote a book entitled Where he “admitted” committing the act. Why is he not in jail?

Students at a middle school dislike their new principal’s dress code. They stage a demonstration outside the school to protest and many students make a personal speech expressing his/her feelings toward this principal and the dress code. Can they do this?

The state of Utah decides to pass a law that requires all students across the state to attend a Mormon church meeting once a week. If students neglect to attend this meeting, they will be suspended from school and will not graduate from high school. Can the government pass laws like this?

Police suspect students at MVMS of possessing illegal drugs and firearms. Police have been watching and have targeted a few nameless students and visit the homes of these students one night, charging in and taking backpacks and personal belongings to search. Is this legal?

A student is found guilty of stealing a French fry from off the plate of a friend at lunch. The case was taken to court and the student was sentenced to death. Is this legal?