Constitutional Rights

A police officer cannot just randomly stop your vehicle and ask you to answer questions, take a field sobriety test or things of this nature. For instance, an officer can’t just wait outside of a local bar and pull over every driver who leaves the bar, looking for...

It is a strange and uncomfortable feeling—being told to wait while officers “figure things out.” Maybe it started with a traffic stop. Or maybe someone called the police, and suddenly, you are being questioned. You have not been arrested, but you are not free to go...

You’ve probably been reading and seeing a lot of media stories about “due process” lately. Just what is due process, what does it involve and how does it help protect people’s legal rights? The concept of due process goes back to the U.S. Constitution. The “Due...

Advocates for immigrants are seeking legislative relief for those they represent who may be next in the crosshairs of the U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions. As of now, the location of 48 immigrants detained by ICE officials remains unknown....

The right to free speech is one of the hallmarks of American freedoms, but some people are surprised to learn that it doesn’t always apply. For example, prisoners don’t have First Amendment rights in the same way that others have.  Prisoners have to deal with...

The United States Constitution provides very specific protections for individuals in this country. The Fourth Amendment is one specific area that most people need to ensure they understand because it has to do with what constitutes a lawful search and seizure.  One...

Civil rights come in numerous forms, and one important right is the right to swift justice. This is protected by the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Criminal trials should be fair and they should also be completed within a reasonable time. Of course,...

Drones have become a part of life in many places. You see them used for everything from taking a group shot at a wedding, to creating a real estate listing to destroying an enemy target. So it is no surprise that police forces across the country are also using drones....

As digital ID laws pass across the states, more people are using their phones to keep track of their personal information, including their driver’s license and insurance cards. As a result, these people may leave their physical forms of identification at home. If a...

The Constitution and the Amendments to it enshrine numerous crucial rights for those within the United States. The Constitution protects not just citizens but anyone in the United States dealing with government authority figures. One of the most important protections...