The Bill of Rights Chapter 4 Notes

The First Amendment Freedom of Religion *Intolerance of different beliefs is what drove many of the early settlers to move to America *Congress cannot establish an official religion *The government may not treat people differently because of their beliefs

First Amendment cont. Freedom of Speech *Guarantees that Americans can say what's on their minds in private or public without fear of punishment *Includes Internet communications, art, and music.

First Amendment cont. Freedom of the Press *Includes radio, television, and computer networks *Ensures the American people are exposed to different viewpoints *Prohibits censorship- cannot ban printed materials or movies because they don’t like them.

First Amendment cont. Freedom of Assembly *Protects Americans right to gather in groups as long as it is peaceful. *Government can make rules about when and where the assemblies can he held. *Must obtain permits

First Amendment cont. Freedom to Petition *A petition is a formal request *This allows Americans to express their ideas to the government

First Amendment cont. Limitations *You may not endanger the government or other Americans. *You may not spread lies to harm another persons reputation. *Slander- spreading lies that are spoken *Libel- is spreading lies that are printed in newspaper or magazines, etc.

Second Amendment The right to keep and bear arms *This means private citizens may obtain a license to keep a firearm. There are many restrictions though.

Third Amendment No quartering of Troops *During the American Revolution, British soldiers were allowed to demand quarter. This means they could stay in your house whether you liked it or not. *This amendment prohibits that from happening today.

Fourth Amendment No unreasonable search or seizure *Meaning no soldier, police officer, or government agent can search your home with good cause. *They must first obtain a search warrant from a judge. *UNLESS they have “just cause”.

Fifth Amendment Rights of the Accused *Cannot be put on trial without an indictment *Protects against double jeopardy – cannot try you for the same crime twice *The right to remain silent *The right to due process- cannot hold you more than 72 hours without charging you, etc.

Sixth Amendment Rights for Trials *Right to a trial by Jury *Right to a speedy trial *The accused has the right to an attorney *Right to hear and question all witnesses called against you

Seventh Amendment Civil trial by jury *Concerned with civil cases- lawsuits about disagreements between people instead of crimes.

Eighth Amendment No cruel and unusual punishment *you cannot be tortured No excessive bail *If you steal something worth $20, they cannot hold you on $100,000 bail

Ninth Amendment Protection of rights not specifically mentioned *Right to privacy (medical and financial records)

Tenth Amendment Powers of States and People *Any power the Constitution does not specifically grant to the National government can be decided by the State or people