Prep for Constitution Day #11

Today's Topic: The 6th, 7th, & 8th Amendments

• 6th Amendment: A person has the right to a fair and speedy trial by a jury.
• 7th Amendment: A person has the right to a jury trial for civil cases.
• 8th Amemdent: The government cannot demand excessive bail or fines, or any cruel and unusual punishment.

Every person has the right to a fair and speedy jury trial for civil cases. In order to protect this civil right, US citizens are called for jury duty.

Sometimes jury duty is inconvient, but serving on a jury guarantees that everyone is treated fairly and equally under the law. Serving on a jury is an important responsibility for each US citizen.

• Listen to Beyond 'Law & Order': The US Jury System An explanation of how the process works in the country that legal experts say holds 90 percent of the world's jury trials. 30 August 2009
• Listen to ESLPod English Café 73 for more info about jury duty and other topics.
• Read Jeff McQuillan's (the host of ESL Podcast) jury duty blog posts (#1, #2).
• Karin's ESL PartyLand: Jury Duty in the US
• Jurors Played Sudoku During a Trial: Another funny (but serious) story from Simple English News.

8th Amemdent: The government cannot demand excessive bail or fines, or any cruel and unusual punishment.

ESL Podcast 143 - Fighting a Parking Ticket
Eric: I'm going to traffic court. I got a parking ticket and I'm going to fight it. Mindy: How much was the fine?

ESL Podcast 172 - Legal Problems
When he was arraigned in court , the prosecutor said that the charges were very serious felonies and not simple misdemeanors.

More:

• Simple Wiki: Human Rights and Torture
• Amnesty International: The Death Penalty in America (slide show)
• Human Rights Watch: US Law Prohibiting Torture and Torture and Abuse