The Defendant and the Bill of Rights

Paper Summary:

This paper shows by using the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution that the Bill of Rights was necessary to the foundation of law in the United States. Without these, a person accused of a crime, whether federal or state, could face unfair or even dangerous prosecution and could be denied his/her basic human rights as described in the U.S. Constitution.

From the Paper:

"When the Constitution of the United States was ratified by a majority of the states in 1789, it lacked what has come to be called the Bill of Rights, a very important document made up of amendments to the Constitution itself. For example, in the original Constitution, there existed no protection against the establishment of a national religion and did not guarantee that American citizens could speak freely, belong to any group they wished or publish magazines and books without the fear of being censored or banned by the federal government. But most importantly, the Constitution did not promise nor provide any protections for a citizen accused of a crime, nor did it specify that such a person would receive a fair and swift trial and if convicted receive just and humane punishment."

More papers on The Defendant and the Bill of Rights:

• Term Paper # 148864 : "The Bill of Rights and Administration of Justice"
• Argumentative Essay # 135792 : "The Lavell Case and Patriarchal Law"
• Analytical Essay # 114821 : "In re Gault"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: