Civil Liberties Amendment (for the public)

[JohnFKennedy]

At the request of a forumite I have made a copy of this for public debate here.

I know as President I can no longer propose legislation but I would like for the Senate to hear this Civil Liberties Amendment, Niles and I spoke of a proposed amendment and drafted one.

The Civil Liberties Amendment
Amendment III shall hereby be revised to state:


Clause 1:  No agency of government shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Clause 2: 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.

Clause 3: 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.

Clause 4: Private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Clause 5: 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.

Clause 6: No person shall be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.

Clause 7: No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.

Clause 8: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the region wherein the crime shall have been committed, which region shall have been previously ascertained by law.  If a trial does not occur within one month of the accusation due to lack of evidence or otherwise, the trial will be thrown out of court and the accused will be declared innocent of the crime.

Clause 9:  The accused shall 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 defense.

Clause 10:  Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Clause 11:  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.

Clause 12:  The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Clause 13:  The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Clause 14:  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.