the Constitution

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.

• constitutional amendment
• U.S. CONSTITUTION
• Fifth Amendment
• double jeopardy
• DOUBLE JEOPARDY CLAUSE

In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens of the United States, and therefore did not have the right to sue in federal court. In holding, the Court also ruled that the federal government could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

“Driving while Black” (DWB) is a slang term used to refer to the racial profiling of Black motor vehicle drivers by police. It implies that a motorist may be stopped by a police officer largely because of racial bias rather than any apparent violation of traffic law.

What is due process?

Due process (or due process of law) primarily refers to the concept found in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which says no one shall be "deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law" by the federal government.

• constitution
• U.S. CONSTITUTION
• constitutional amendment
• due process
• SUBSTANTIVE DUE PROCESS
• PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS

See due process. 

[Last reviewed in November of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]

Effective assistance of counsel is a right guaranteed for criminal defendants under the Sixth Amendment.

Elections are processes through which eligible voters select candidates for public office or decide ballot measures.

Electronic surveillance is the use of electronic, mechanical, or other devices to collect the contents of wire or electronic communications in situations where at least one party has a reasonable expectation of privacy

• Fourth Amendment
• constitutional law
• SURVEILLANCE
• search and seizure
• PRIVACY

Emergency powers refer to the legal authority granted to executive officials to act beyond normal statutory or procedural limits during crises that cannot be managed through ordinary processes.

• executive powers
• checks and balances
• constitutional law