1. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Constitutional Law
SS 2007
US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

2. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Overview
The U.S. Constitution
Bill of Rights and further amendments
Enumerated Liberties
Due Process Clause
Leading decisions of the US Supreme Court
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

3. Historical development
1773 Boston Tea Party („No taxation without representation“)
1775 War of Independence
July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence
1787 Elaboration of the Constitution
1788 Ratification of the Constitution by 13 states
1789 Constitution enters into force
1791 Bill of rights (Amendments I-X)
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

4. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Thomas Jefferson
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

5. Declaration of Independence (1776)
Thomas Jefferson
„We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.“
SS 2007
US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

6. U.S. Constitution Art. I-III
Art. I: Legislative Branch
Art. II: Executive Branch
Art. III: Judicial Branch
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

7. The Capitol (Legislature)
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

8. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
1st Amendment
Freedom of Religion
Separation of Church and State
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Right to petition
SS 2007
US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

9. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Due Process Clause
5th Amendment for federal government
14th Amendment for state governments
Substantive Due Process
Procedural Due Process
The Constitution does not contain a far-reaching catalogue of fundamental rights and civil rights.
There is no explicit Right to Equal Protection.
It was left to the U.S. Supreme Court to develop fundamental rights on the basis of
SS 2007
US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

10. Substantive Due Process
The Right of Privacy
The Right of Personal Autonomy
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

11. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
The Right of Privacy
The use of contraceptives was prohibited by state law.
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Married couples
Conduct occurs in the privacy of the home
=> Right of marital privacy
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

12. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Development
Griswold extended by
Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972)
to unmarried couples
Carey v. Population Servs. Intl. (1977)
to minors
Right of Privacy (still only inside home)
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

13. Liberty to chose an abortion
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Griswold further extended to conduct outside the home
1st/2nd/3rd trimester
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

14. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Roe v. Wade (1973)
On the legitimacy of abortion
Freedom of choice v. right to life
Right of privacy can be found in the 14th and 9th Amendment
Women free to decide until the end of the first trimester
As from the second trimester, states allowed to pass legislation
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

15. Carey v. Population Servs. Intl. (1977)
Reformulation of Griswold as liberty that „protects individual decisions in matters of childbearing from unjustified intrusion by the state.“
Transformation of Right of Privacy into Right of Personal Autonomy
Whalen v. Roe (1977): „the interest in independence in making certain decisions.“
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

16. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Slavery
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

17. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Civil War ( )
=> Led to Amendment 13 to 15 („Civil War Amendments“)
=> Abolition of slavery
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

18. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Facts: Plessy, a black person, refused to leave the compartment of a train that was reserved for white people, which led to his conviction.
Issue: Conviction contrary to 14th Amendment?
Holding: Segregation of black and white people serve public interest (=> „separate but equal“ doctrine)
SS 2007
US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

19. US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.
Segregation
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.

20. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Facts: Brown, a black child, fought against segregation on a public school
Issue: Segregation contrary to 14th Amendment?
Holding: Yes! Interpretation of Constitution not on the basis of 1787, 1868 or 1896, but of an understanding that is found today.
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US-Recht I Dr. Karin Linhart, LL.M.