Definitions
1. Civil Liberties – Individual legal and constitutional protections against
the government.
2. Bill of Rights – The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that
outline basic freedoms.
3. First Amendment – Protects freedoms of religion, speech, press,
assembly, and petition.
4. Fourteenth Amendment – Guarantees equal protection under the law
and due process.
5. Due Process Clause – Part of the 14th Amendment that prevents states
from denying life, liberty, or property without legal procedures.
6. Incorporation Doctrine – The process by which the Bill of Rights is
applied to the states via the 14th Amendment.
7. Establishment Clause – Prohibits the government from establishing a
national religion.
8. Free Exercise Clause – Protects individuals’ rights to practice their
religion freely.
9. Prior Restraint – Government action that prevents material from being
published.
10. Libel – The publication of false and malicious statements that
damage someone’s reputation.
11. Symbolic Speech – Nonverbal communication, such as burning a
flag or wearing an armband.
12. Commercial Speech – Speech done on behalf of a company or
individual for the intent of making a profit.
13. Probable Cause – Reasonable grounds for making a search or
pressing a charge.
14. Unreasonable Searches and Seizures – Obtaining evidence in a
haphazard or random manner, prohibited by the Fourth Amendment.
15. Search Warrant – A legal document authorizing a police officer or
official to enter and search premises.
16. Exclusionary Rule – Prevents the use of illegally obtained
evidence in court.
17. Fifth Amendment – Protects against self-incrimination, double
jeopardy, and mandates due process.
18. Self-incrimination – Testifying against oneself.
19. Sixth Amendment – Guarantees the right to a speedy and public
trial, a fair jury, and legal counsel.
20. Plea Bargaining – Agreement where a defendant pleads guilty to
a lesser charge in exchange for a lighter sentence.
21. Eighth Amendment – Prohibits excessive bail, fines, and cruel
and unusual punishment.
22. Cruel and Unusual Punishment – Punishment prohibited by the
8th Amendment; includes torture or barbaric methods.
23. Right to Privacy – The right to a private personal life free from
government intrusion, implied by several amendments.
Key Supreme Court
1. Barron v. Baltimore – Ruled that the Bill of Rights applies only to the
federal government, not the states.
2. Gitlow v. New York – Began incorporation of the Bill of Rights to states
via the 14th Amendment.
3. Lemon v. Kurtzman – Created the "Lemon Test" for government
involvement in religion.
4. Engel v. Vitale – Ruled that school-sponsored prayer is
unconstitutional.
5. Near v. Minnesota – Protected newspapers from prior restraint.
6. Schenck v. United States – Speech that presents a “clear and present
danger” is not protected.
7. Zurcher v. Stanford Daily – Search warrants apply to newspapers as
well.
8. Miller v. California – Defined obscenity and allowed local standards to
judge it.
9. New York Times v. Sullivan – Public figures must prove actual malice to
win libel cases.
10. Texas v. Johnson – Flag burning is protected symbolic speech.
11. Mapp v. Ohio – Applied the exclusionary rule to the states.
12. Miranda v. Arizona – Required police to inform suspects of rights
(Miranda warnings).
13. Gideon v. Wainwright – Guaranteed right to an attorney in
criminal cases.
14. Roe v. Wade – Legalized abortion under the right to privacy.
15. Planned Parenthood v. Casey – Upheld Roe but allowed for state
regulations.
