Court Case Challenge

The Bill of Rights - Simplified

1st - Freedom of religion, speech, press, protest and assembly 

2nd - Right the bear arms 

3rd - No quartering of soldiers in private homes

4th - No unreasonable search or seizure without a warrant

5th - Right to grand jury, due process and fair compensation, the right to remain silent and no double jeopardy (tried for same crime twice)

6th - Criminal defendant’s rights to a public, speedy trial, right to a lawyer, right to hear and question witnesses 

7th - Jury trial for civil cases involving money or property

8th - No excessive fines/bail and no cruel or unusual punishment

Court Case # 1

Shukri is at home watching her favorite tv show. She hears a knock at the door, and goes to see who it is. To her surprise, she sees two police officers waiting outside the door. Shukri opens the door, and asks what they want. The cops explain that someone just robbed a bank and Shukri’s brother is their main suspect. The cops demand that Shukri allow them inside to search the home for clues and evidence. Shukri hesitates, and asks the cops if they can come back when she has a parent home. One officer threatens to arrest her if she continues to disobey their orders. The other officer pushes on the door and forces it open. They search the house while Shukri watched, and leave with several boxes of stuff.

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• Eighth Amendment

• Second Amendemnt

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Seventh Amendment

Multiple Select

What are the two exceptions to the Fourth Amendment?

• Probable Cause

• A gut feeling

• A warrant

• Complaints from neighbors

Multiple Choice

Who is the person violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Shukri

• Shukri's Brother

• Shukri's Parents

• The Police

• No one is violating the Bill of Rights

Open Ended

Imagine you are Shukri's shoes. What would you have done in her sitution? What would you do after the police left with boxes of stuff? (no right or wrong answer!)

Court Case # 2

Mohamed and Ibrahim are working the concession stand at a basketball game. After the game, the two students close up the stand and head home for the night. The next day, the manager of the concession stand realizes that the cash register is missing. He calls the police, and the police call in Mohamed and Ibrahim for questioning. Both deny stealing the money. The police decide to charge both students with theft, and secretly arrest them. Mohamed and Ibrahim are given a court date that occurs next year and are told they must pay for their own lawyers. Both students protest, saying they cannot sit in jail for years and cannot afford lawyers. The police ignore their protests, and secretly hold Mohamed and Ibrahim in jail until their trial.

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• First Amendment

• Seventh Amendment

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

Multiple Choice

Who is the person violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Mohamed

• Ibrahim

• The Manager

• The Police

Multiple Select

​ ​ Identify three ways Mohamed and Ibrahim's sixth amendment rights are violated. ​

• Their trial was NOT speedy

• They were not given lawyers

• Their possessions were searched by the Police

• Their arrest was kept secret

• They were charged with the same crime more than once

Open Ended

Imagine you are a friend of Mohamed and Ibrahim. How would you explain to them that their rights are being violated? Write your explanation as a complete sentence.

Court Case # 3

Huda is a middle schooler with strong political opinions. She identifies with the Black Lives Matter movement. She wants to become more involved in the movement. She decided to organize a Black Lives Matter protest. Huda receives permission from the city to host the event, and she sends out invitations to all of her friends from school. When Huda goes to school the next day, Principal Johnson demands she come to the main office to speak with him. Principal Johnson does not support the BLM movement, and does not want his students involved, and tells Huda to cancel the event or be suspended. Huda is upset and cancels the protest out of fear. 

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• First Amendment

• Second Amendemnt

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

Multiple Choice

Who is violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Huda

• Principal Johnson

• Black Lives Matter

• The Police

Multiple Choice

Which of Huda's First Amendment rights are being violated in this court case?

• Freedom of Religion

• Freedom of Press

• Freedom of Assembly

• Freedom of Petition

Open Ended

Imagine yourself in Huda's situation. How could you explain to Principal Johnson that your rights are being violated? Write your answer as a complete sentence.

Court Case # 4

Aisha is a new student after moving during the middle of the school year. She has had trouble making new friends, and eagerly accepts an invitation to hang out one night. Aisha and her new friends drive to a rival school, and decide to vandalize the building with spray paint, hammers and bricks. Aisha is nervous, but decides to participate anyway. Before they can finish, police arrive and arrest all of the students. A cop pulls Aisha away from her friends and begins angrily interrogating her. The officer threatens to blame Aisha for everything if she does not promise to tell him exactly what happened. Scared, Aisha signs a document stating she planned the outing and will accept the blame. The officer calls Aisha’s parents to come get her, and she is taken home.

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• First Amendment

• Eighth Amendment

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

Multiple Choice

Who is violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Aisha

• Aisha's friends

• Aisha's parents

• The Police

Multiple Choice

Which of Aisha's Fifth Amendment rights were violated in this court case?

• Right to a grand jury

• Right to remain silent

• Right to no double jeopardy

• Right to due process

Open Ended

What do you think is a fair punishment for Aisha and her friends? Remember, they did vandalize (damage or destroy) another school's property. *no right or wrong answer!

Court Case # 5

Sabrina and Adnan are each running for student body president. Sabrina really wants to win, and promises to give candy to anyone who votes for her. Sabrina goes to the store to buy candy, but realizes she doesn't have enough money. She decides to try and steal the extra candy she needs, but is caught by store employees. Sabrina is arrested and charged with shoplifting. The usual punishment for shoplifting is small fine and up to 90 days in jail. The judge wants to prevent other students from shoplifting, and decides to make an example of Sabrina to scare her classmates. Sabrina is sentenced to 2 years in jail with a $5,000 fine.

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• Tenth Amendment

• Eighth Amendment

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

Multiple Choice

Who is violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Sabrina

• Adnan

• The Police

• The Judge

Multiple Select

Which TWO ways are Sabrina's Eighth Amendment rights violated?

• Her prison sentence is cruel and unusual

• Her property is taken without Just Compensation

• She is forced to house soldiers in her home

• She is given excessive fines

Multiple Choice

Why was it wrong for the judge to sentence Sabrina to 2 years in prison?

• The punishment was too severe

• The punishment was too light

• The punishment would encourage other students to shoplift

• The punishment would not teach Sabrina her lesson

Open Ended

Imgaine you are in Sabrina's shoes. How could you explain to the judge why their sentence violates the Bill of Rights? Write your answer as a complete sentence.

Court Case # 6

Muna and Khalid start a business together after graduating from high school. They share a bank account for company expenses. This bank account is used to pay their employees and purchase materials for the business. After a fight, Khalid transfers the money in the joint account to his personal account, preventing Muna from accessing the money. Muna sues Khalid, claiming he stole money they shared. She requests a jury trial, wanting the jury to decide how much each of them should get to keep from the joint bank account. The judge denies her request, saying a jury trial for a civil case takes too long.

Multiple Choice

Which amendment from the Bill of Rights is being violated in this case?

• Seventh Amendment

• Eighth Amenment

• Fourth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

Multiple Choice

Who is violating the Bill of Rights in this court case?

• Muna

• Khalid

• The jury

• The judge

Multiple Choice

Is Muna suing Khalid in criminal or civil court?

• criminal

• civil

Open Ended

Imagine yourself in Muna's place. How could you explain to the judge why your rights are being violated? Write your answer as a complete sentence.