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The Ten Amendments That Form The Bill of Rights

Posted October 11, 2009 @ 7:45 pm In Numbers,Ten | No Comments

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people

How It's Used

"It is no doubt a realistic acceptance of the difficulty of amending the Constitution. In the more than two-century history of our federal Constitution, only 27 amendments have been ratified. Ten of those amendments, the Bill of Rights, came into effect in 1791."

—Polly J. Price, "Should U.S. deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants?" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 17, 2009, p. A11.

"In 1789, the first US Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for ratification. (Ten of the amendments [were ratified by the states and] became the Bill of Rights.)"

—no author listed, "This day in history," The Boston Globe, September 25, 2009, p. G36.

"No one was hurt in Mr. Hopwood’s bank robberies, but he and his accomplices 'scared the hell out of the poor bank tellers,' Judge Richard G. Kopf of Federal District Court in Lincoln, Neb., said in sentencing him to prison in 1999. The judge was skeptical about Mr. Hopwood’s vow that he would change. 'We’ll know in about 13 years if you mean what you say,' Judge Kopf said.

"The law library changed Mr. Hopwood’s life. 'I kind of flourished there,' he said. 'I didn’t want prison to be my destiny. When your life gets tipped over and spilled out, you have to make some changes.' He was a quick study, but he had a lot to learn. 'In 2000,' he said, 'I couldn’t have named a right in the Bill of Rights.'”

—Adam Liptak, "A Mediocre Criminal, but an Unmatched Jailhouse Lawyer," The New York Times, February 9, 2010.

"The first ten amendments to the constitution (the Bill of Rights) originally bound only the federal government. But the rights contained in them, such as free speech, have mostly been applied to the states via the 'due process' clause of the 14th amendment. ('Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law…') This is the most likely way that the court’s slim majority will extend gun rights to the whole country."

—no author listed, "Guns and the law: Old McDonald hadn't an arm," The Economist, March 6, 2010.

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