Bill of Rights Situations
- 1. Bill is mad that his senator won't vote for the new jobs bill. He gets a sign and starts protesting on a sidewalk near the senator's office. Which amendment guarantees him this right?
- 2. Sam has 37 guns in his collection. He is going to a gun show to buy 5 new ones. What amendment gives him this right?
- 3. A group of soldiers are just returned from basic training. They come knocking on your door and say they need a place to stay. They tell you that it is illegal to not let them stay at your house if they are soldiers. What amendment is this violating?
- 4. Mary is hanging out at the food court of the mall with a backpack. A policeman comes up and says he needs to search her backpack. What amendment gives Mary the right to refuse this?
- 5. Tim is on trial for spray-painting the side of a building. The lawyer asks him if he was spray-painting on the building on June 21. If Tim does not want to answer the question, what amendment can he say gives him this right?
- 6. Sally has been arrested for a crime that she says she did not commit. She wants her day in court to plead her case. What amendment gives her the right to have her case heard quickly?
- 7. Bob is a lawyer and doesn't think the judge will be fair to his client. He requests to have a trial by jury. What amendment gives him the right to do this?
- 8. Cindy was arrested for smashing pumpkins with her friends on Halloween. The judge orders that she be held in jail for 3 million dollars. What amendment makes this illegal?
- 9. Billy is a Buddhist and has been treated unfairly because of his religion. He believes that he has the right to be treated with respect, but this right is not specifically listed in the Constitution. What amendment gives him this right?
- 10. The Constitution has no laws about the age at which a person can get married. California passes a law saying you must be 18 before you get married. What amendment gives them the right to pass this law?
- 11. Illegal searches and seizures
- 13. Sally sues Bob for trashing her car and he is found not guilty. She decides to sue him again for the same thing. Why can’t she do this?
- 14. Wisconsin just legalized the sale of marijuana. They can make this law because of this amendment
- 15. Dan is arrested for spray-painting a message in support of his favorite politician on a wall by his house. When he goes to court he might say that this amendment protects him.
- 16. Washington D.C. passed a law that made it illegal to carry handguns. They were sued by people saying they violated this amendment.
- 17. In our mock trial Ms. Kanabiz claimed that this right (which amendment) was violated when police came onto her property and found marijuana growing, then had her arrested.
- 18. Ron was found not guilty of robbing a bank on June 30. He serves his time. Why can he not be charged again for robbing a bank on June 30, but could be charged for robbing a bank on July 10?
- 19. A man from Idaho says he has planted a bomb somewhere. He is tortured by the police to find out where the bomb is located. Which amendment does this violate?
- 20. The Constitution has no laws on what types of animals you can keep for pets. Nebraska makes a law saying you can only have animals weighing less than 200 pounds. Why can they make this law?
- 21. Individual rights not listed in the Consitution
- 22. Trial by a jury of your peers
- 23. A man posts a message on Facebook saying that all people over 60 should be kicked out of the country. What amendment gives him this right?
- 24. Nebraska passes a new law banning the sale of handguns, but the Supreme Court overturns it. What amendment do they cite in this case?
- 25. A fight breaks out on a sidewalk on a public street. A woman, who was not involved with the fight, is questioned by police who ask to search her purse. What amendment gives her the right to refuse?
- 26. Bill is put on trial for mowing his neighbors lawn without permission. The lawyer asks him if he used his mower on the neighbors lawn. What amendment gives him the right to not have to answer this question?
- 27. Suzie has been arrested for jaywalking and is being held in jail. She wonders why her trial has been scheduled for 6 months from now. Which amendment gives her the right to have a trial sooner than that?
- 28. Emmett Till was an African American boy murdered in 1955. Two white men were charged with the crime, but the all-white jury, found them innocent. What amendment (in the Bill of Rights) was violated?
- 29. Bill works for a restaurant and took a $5 tip from another waiter during his shift. He is arrested and held in jail for a $500,000 bail. Assuming he is not a dangerous person, what amendment does this violate?
- 30. This amendment outlawed slavery.
- 31. This amendment gives people born in this country all the rights listed in the Constitution, no matter who they are.
- 32. This amendment gave women the right to vote.
- 33. This amendment gave people who are at least 18 the right to vote.
- 34. Colin Kapernick has been protesting the treatment of black Americans by law enforcement. What gives him this right?
- 35. Hillary Clinton is proposing a rule to require background checks for the purchase of a weapon. What amendment do some people think this violates?
- 36. Donald Trump has spoke of having certain rules for Muslims in this country. What amendment/right might this violate?
- 37. Jill goes to a public school. Someone accuses her of having drugs in her locker and the school officials search it and find nothing. What amendment might she point out in a court case?
- 38. Delaware makes a law that requires cars get at least 35 miles to the gallon. There is no national law for this. Why can Delaware make this law?
- 39. Stan burns a flag in protest of troops who are deporting illegal immigrants that were caught in a raid on a local factory. What amendment gives him the right to burn the flag and not be arrested?
- 40. In a state-wide vote, Hawaii has passed a law that requires background checks for all citizens buying a weapon. What amendment might some people claim has been violated?
- 41. Congress passes and the president signs a law that says anyone suspected of terrorism must have a soldier stay at their home to monitor them - even if they have not committed a crime. This may violate many rights, but what is the right violated by the soldier staying at the house.
- 42. Bill works for the a tech company. He is suspected of stealing secrets from the company by taking screenshots of his computer on his phone. His boss takes his phone and gives it to the police as evidence. The police look through his photos. What right might this violate?
- 43. Bill is arrested for vandalism and the police read him his rights. The police ask him multiple times where he bought the paint that was used in the vandalism. What gives him the right to remain silent?
- 44. A group of protestors are arrested while protesting a new pipeline being built. The pipeline won't be finished for another year, so they are held in jail without a trial for 13 more months. What right does this most likely violate?
- 45. Sandy is accused of selling drugs to minors. As the trial is getting ready, her lawyer says that he thinks the jury is unfair because all of the people on it are young parents. What amendment would he site that is possibly violated?
- 46. The CIA has learned that there is a possible bomb that will go off in New York City. A man of the street says Bill Riley told him he knew something about the bombing. Bill is arrested. At CIA headquarters, Bill will not talk. He is forced underwater for long periods of time and then punched multiple times as the CIA screams at him to tell them what he knows. This is a violation of what amendment.
- 47. Los Angeles has become so filled with smog that people have to stay inside. The government passed a law that says smog levels have to stay below 8.3. Sandy thinks that this number is too high and people can still get sick. She sues the government saying that this right has been violated because she says that everyone has the right to clean air - even if it isn't in the Constitution.
- 48. Nebraska passes a law that increases the minimum wage to $12 an hour, even though it is only $10 an hour in Iowa. What gives them this right?
- 49. Robert is fired from his job at a government agency for posting a meme making fun of the president. What amendment would he sue over?
- 50. Omaha makes a law banning cross-bows in the city limits. What amendment might a person say has been violated?
- 51. Bill has his phone taken away from him at school because he is suspected a dealing drugs. The police get his passcode from a friend (without his permission) and search his phone. What amendment might he sue over?
- 52. Gary is stopped and accused of shoplifting. The police start to question him and he chooses to remain silent. What gives him this right?
- 53. Rupert stole Sally's bicycle and is locked up for two years before going to trial. What amendment could he sue over?
- 54. If the court sets bail at one million dollars for a bike thief, the person might sue saying this amendment was violated?
- 55. Oklahoma has a law requiring that stores can only sell beer that is 3% alcohol. What gives them this right?
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