In the U.S., people are guaranteed certain civil rights . In fact, if a state actor uses the legal system to deprive someone of their constitutional rights, the person may have a cause of action against them in the form of a civil rights lawsuit. Mor...
How to determine whether you are entitled to a court-appointed attorney in defense of one or more criminal charges, and the criteria established by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Fourth Amendment's protection against unlawful search and seizure generally prohibits arbitrary vehicle searches by police. If the police search your car without a warrant , your permission, or a valid reason, they are violating your constitution...
How the same crime may be charged more than once if it involves more than one jurisdiction, such as when prosecutors from different states have valid reasons for bringing charges.
The legal meaning of "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which is not specifically defined but rather determined through the courts.
The basic of "double jeopardy," a legal term that refers to the act of being prosecuted twice for the same crime, which is prohibited under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The constitutional protections against double jeopardy are meant to prevent repeat prosecutions or punishments for the "same offense." Generally, the state or federal government may not charge you a second time for the same offense if the first case ...
Answers to frequently asked questions regarding police interrogations of criminal suspects.
Concise overview of a criminal defendant's right against self-incrimination at trial, enshrined in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, commonly referred to as “pleading the Fifth.”
Information about the Supreme Court case and its grounding in the Fifth Amendment.
