545 - The Petition Clause

Flock and other Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) have been in the news lately, and the news has not been good. Reports of abuse of ALPRs, lawsuits, and even a few arrests have put most everyone on edge when it comes to this surveillance technology. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has proposed federal legislation, but will this cure make things better or worse?

A recent botched execution in Tennessee has brought the question of the death penalty to the fore. What are the constitutional issues of the death penalty in general and this Tennessee execution specifically?

A lot of people have it out for Automatic License Plate Readers, especially Flock Safety. In the case USA v. Meilisa Susan Kyle, Flock Safety did not violate Ms. Kyle's rights, the Sheriff's Deputy did.

There are plenty of court cases claiming violations of the First Amendment. As I've shown, most of those have nothing to do with the First Amendment, but that doesn't mean Congress doesn't violate it regularly. Let me introduce you to The Petition Clause.

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote some of the most famous words in American history. In 1949, George Orwell wrote the novel 1984, warning of a dystopian future. The question I have is, will the future of the United States of America be the Spirit of 1776 or the Spirit of 1984?

I started The Constitution Study in 2014 because of a study that showed most Americans don't know the rights protected by the First Amendment. A recent study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that while things may be better where the First Amendment is concerned, our overall civics education is pretty bad.

Should you loose your job because of your opinion? What if that opinion is religiously based? That is the exact question asked in the case Brown v. Alaska Airlines.

Most people are familiar with the Warrant Clause. But have you considered what constituted probable cause? More importantly, what happens when the system uses a flawed, even fraudulent warrant, and ruins someone's life?

President Trump, when he hosted the television program The Apprentice, was famous for the line: "You're Fired!" This penchant for firing people is something he brought with him to the presidency. Two cases recently decided by the Supreme Court question the President's power to fire.

People frequently complain about money in politics. Others complain that campaign finance rules suppress "free speech". Which brings up the question in the Supreme Court case NRSC v. FEC.