An introduction to the US Constitution / The Bill of Rights - 1st Amendment freedoms

christiane.malaplate@uvsq.fr

I - An introduction to the US Constitution / The Bill of Rights - 1st Amendment freedoms

II - Other free speech cases - draft card burning

                                 - black armbands in schools

                                 - national anthem in football matches

                                 - burning crosses

                                 - nazi paramilitary parades (SKoKie case)

III - How to brief a case

IV - 2nd Amendment / Right to keep + bear arms - DC v. Heller 2008

V - Due process / The right to counsel

VI - Searches + seizures

VII - The constitutionality of death penalty

VIII - Privacy rights abortion / and the right to die in dignity

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I - An introduction to the US Constitution / The Bill of Rights

One of the shortest constitution in the world ; 7 articles, 27 amendments ; draft in 1787. At the time, the drafters wanted to unite the 13 colonies. The framers were also patriots building a nation. Half of them were lawyers ; we can consider they are part of the elite. And they wanted to build a federalist state ; some powers belong to the federal government, some belong to the state, and some are shared.

A huge controversy occurred between the framers ; the federalist believed in a strong federal power, while the anti-federalist were afraid of an abusive power gave to the federal government and wanted to limit it. There was a compromise finally : the first thing the Congress had to pass was the Bill of Rights (the tenth first amendments of the Constitution, guarantying the individual rights)

The supremacy clause (article 6 of the C°) precise the hierarchy of the laws : the US C°, the federal laws and treaties are biding on states laws.

Lecture « The Freedom of Speech »

Freedom of the press and of speech. Can be written or oral. Some forms of speech are not protected by the 1st amendment (Supreme Court appreciation) : profane, libelous, insulting speeches (Chaplinski vs New Hampshire, 1942).

All speeches are protected except if they are in the unprotected categories listed by the court.

• Advocacy of unlawful behavior (incite other to disrespect the law). Schenk vs US, 1919.

Exercice 1 :

1. A court
2. A trial (to try a case = to judge = to adjudicate on disputes)
3. Evidence
4. An act
5. The applicant
6. A bill

Exercice 2 :

1. Aside  
2. Up
3. Down
4. Forth

Exercice 3 :

1. Une loi
2. Droit écrit
3. Jurisprudence
4. Droit
5. Attaquer en justice
6. Légal
7. Illégal
8. Devoirs
9. L’administration
10. Forces de l’ordre

Exercice 4 :

1. Opposed to
2. Refered … to
3. Reverted to
4. Adhere to
5. Came to
6. Exceeded to

Exercice 5 :

1. Politique restrictive # politique contractuelle
2. Jury sans majorité # jury accroché
3. Personne physique, personnes juridiques
4. Première condamnation, circonstances atténuantes, peine.
5. Recevidisme, deuxième condamnation
6. Probable cause, syndicat de la route.

Exercice 6 :

1. Lay out
2. Argued out
3. Write out
4. Rented out
5. Thrown out
6. Carry out

Lecture page 24-25 : Skokie cases

Skokie

1) ➣ Une tentative constitue une infraction même si la tentative d’infraction n’a pas été commise

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