11-14 amendment
What is the main purpose of the 11th Amendment?
The 11th Amendment establishes that federal courts do not have jurisdiction over cases in which a citizen of one state sues another state, protecting states from being sued in federal court without their consent.
Which amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizures?
4th amendment
What does it mean to "plead the Fifth"?
To refuse to answer questions or provide self-incriminating information to law enforcement.
What is bail?
Money paid to get out of jail while waiting for a court date.
What is the main purpose of the 9th Amendment?
It ensures that rights not specifically listed (enumerated) in the Constitution are still retained by the people.
How did the 12th Amendment change the presidential election process?
It required members of the Electoral College to cast separate ballots for President and Vice President, rather than two votes for President, following issues in the 1800 election.
What is the main purpose of the Third Amendment?
It restricts the government from forcing citizens to house soldiers in their homes during peacetime, and only in a prescribed manner during wartime.
What is double jeopardy?
Being tried again for the same crime after being found innocent (not guilty).
What three main things does the 8th Amendment prohibit?
Excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.
Give an example of a potential "unenumerated right" protected by the 9th Amendment.
The right to privacy (e.g., in family planning) or the right to travel.
What is the primary function of the 13th Amendment?
It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as punishment for a crime.
What is "probable cause"?
It is the reasonable belief, based on facts, that a crime has been committed or that evidence of a crime is present, which is required for a warrant.
True or False : You have the right to remain silent, but only after you have been charged.
False. The right applies during custodial interrogation.
What does the 7th Amendment prevent judges from doing?
It prevents judges from overturning a jury's findings of fact.
True or False: If a right is not in the Constitution, the 9th Amendment says it does not exist.
False. It implies the opposite—unenumerated rights exist.
What are the three major protections established by the 14th Amendment?
Citizenship Clause, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause.
Police stop a car for speeding and, without a warrant or permission, look through the locked trunk. Is this legal?
Generally no. A search of a closed container (the trunk) without a warrant or a specific exception (like probable cause that a crime was committed) is an unreasonable search.
Police arrest someone but don't tell them why and refuse them a lawyer. Which amendment is violated?
Both (5th/6th) - specifically the 6th for right to counsel and being informed of charges, and Miranda rights (5th/6th).
Which Supreme Court case temporarily halted the death penalty due to 8th Amendment concerns?
Furman v. Georgia.
What does the 10th Amendment protect?
It protects state governments and the people from the federal government having all the power by reserving powers not delegated to the U.S. to the states or the people.
What are the three key clauses in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, and why was this amendment ratified following the Civil War?
The three key clauses in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment are the Citizenship Clause, the Due Process Clause, and the Equal Protection Clause. It was ratified in 1868 to grant citizenship and equal rights to formerly enslaved people, effectively overturning the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, and to protect the civil liberties of all citizens against state violations.
Police use a high-tech thermal imaging device from a public street to look for heat lamps inside a private home. Is this legal?
No. The Supreme Court has ruled that using technology not in general public use to explore details of a home that would previously have been unknowable without physical intrusion is a search.
A person is forced to confess to a crime through threats. Which amendment is violated?
The 5th Amendment (protection against self-incrimination).
How does the "cruel and unusual" clause adapt over time?
The Supreme Court often looks at "evolving standards of decency," meaning what was considered acceptable punishment in 1791 may be considered cruel today.
What are "reserved powers" in the context of the 10th Amendment?
Powers not given to the federal government, such as establishing schools, setting driving ages, and regulating intrastate commerce.