The Rights of the Accused

The Fifth through Eighth amendments outline the following rights for people accused of criminal acts.

• They cannot be tried twice for the same crime.
• They cannot be forced to testify against themselves.
• They are entitled to due process of law.
• They have the right to a speedy trial before a jury of their peers, or equals.
• They must be told of the charges against them.
• They have the right to a lawyer and to witnesses in their defense.
• They cannot be subjected to excessive bail or fines, nor to any cruel or unusual punishment.
• Only a grand jury can indict (charge) someone with a capital crime (a crime punishable by death).

In addition, the Constitution states that people cannot have their private property taken away without receiving fair payment from the government.

On your blog, define the following terms:

Witness

Indict

Testify

Grand Jury
Due Process

Capital Punishment

Excessive

Bail

Peer

Write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) answering the following questions:

Do you believe that people accused of crimes deserve all of these rights or just some of them? Why or why not?