The Constitution -- What the Federal Government MUST NOT do

• make laws regarding an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [Ammendment 1]
• make laws abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press [Ammendment 1]
• make laws abridging the right of the people peacably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances [Ammendment 1]
• infringe the right of the people to keep and bear arms [Ammendment 2]
• quarter soldiers in any house without permission of the owner, or in the special case of war, as provided by law [Ammedment 3]
• search or sieze persons or property except with specific warrant supported by probable cause and testimony [Ammendment 4]
• hold a person to answer in a felony crime without indictment of a grand jury [except in certain military contexts] [Amendment 5]
• place a person in double jepordy in a capital offense [Amendment 5]
• compel a person testify against self in any criminal case [Amendment 5]
• deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without due process [Amendment 5]
• take private property for public use without just compensation [Amendment 5]
• deny defendents in criminal trials the right to a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury in the State and District where the crime was committed [Ammendment 6]
• deny defendents in criminal trials the right to be informed of the nature of the accusation [Ammendment 6]
• deny defendents in criminal trials the right to be confronted with the witnesses against them [Ammendment 6]
• deny defendents in criminal trials the right to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in their favor [Ammendment 6]
• deny defendents in criminal trials the assistance of legal council [Ammendment 6]
• re-examine the finding of facts of any jury trial in any court of the United States, except according to the rules of common law [Amendment 7]
• require excessive bail [Amendment 8]
• impose excessive fines [Amendment 8]
• impose cruel or unusual punishments [Amendment 8]
• extend Federal judicial authority in matters in which one state is sued by citizens of another state or country. [Amendment 11]
• allow slavery or involuntary servitude within the United States and its territories, except as punishment upon conviction of a crime [Amendment 13]
• abridge the right of citizens to vote on the basis of rase, color, or sex [Ammendments 15 and 19]
• suspend the writ of habeaus corpus [which requires that prisoners be brought before a court to determine whether detention is lawful], except in cases of rebellion or invasion [Article I, Section 9]
• pass a bill of attainder [deny civil rights, inheritance, property, etc. to a convicted felon] [Article I section 9]
• pass an ex post facto [retroactive] law [Article I section 9]
• levy a Capitation tax [per-capita or "head-count" tax] except in proportion to the census [Article I section 9]
• deny other, non-enumerated rights from the people [Amendment 9]
• usurp powers from the States or the People that are not delegated to the Federal govenment by the Constitution [Amendment 10]

Last updated: December 31, 1997; Version: 1.2