Bill of Rights - Term Paper Example

2. Briefly show the difference between specific right and general rights 3. Have your rights ever been violated? Respondent 2 (Gregory): It is obvious that citizens are certainly aware of their rights. Individual rights are rights which the government cannot interfere. Citizens should know both their specific and general rights since they must be entitled to them. Take for instance the belief in a specific right which initiated a convicted felon, Clarence Gideon, to contest his conviction. The United States Supreme court utilized this appeal as a means in determining an indigent defendant’s right to an attorney at trials related to felony (Dayes, 1999).

Moreover, a general right can have applications far over the case in which it was first determined. The right to privacy, for instance, has played a part in numerous cases relating with police procedures for carrying out seizures or what can be termed as searches. Another general right is the right to be treated justly. Needless to say, citizens of America are extremely aware of their due process rights because so many rights can be linked to the legalities by which the government can take away life, property, and liberty. 4. .

Amendment 3 (quartering soldiers) The government cannot make people allow soldiers stay in their homes. Amendment 4 (security from unreasonable searches and seizures) It states that the police cannot search a person without a good reason to believe the person has done something wrong. They cannot search a person’s house without a good reason to believe the person has done something wrong, or arrest a person without a good reason to believe the person has done something wrong. Moreover, they cannot take a person’s things without a good reason to believe the person has done something wrong.

It states that the police must have a search warrant that specifies the names of the area to be investigated, the person to be arrested, and the items to be confiscated. Amendment 5 (rights to due process of law) The federal government cannot try a person more than once for the same heinous crime, make a person testify against himself or herself, take away a person’s life, freedom, or possessions without valid reasons and fair procedures, or take away a person’s property unless the person can be fairly paid for his or her property.

Amendment 6 (right to a free trial) People charged with a crime have the right to a hurried and free trial, a jury trial in a criminal case, be told what he or she can be accused, appear before the people who say he or she did wrong, call witnesses to testify on their behalf, have an attorney. Amendment 7 (trial by jury) People have the right to a jury trial in civil matters, in the case of disagreements between individuals. Amendment 8 (fair bail and punishments) A person charged with a crime has a right to a fair fine; there cannot be any cruel and unusual