Was an attorney ineffective for failure to present mitigating evidence during a sentencing hearing, even though his client opposed the use of the evidence? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered this question in 2007.
Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution
Twelve Angry Men, originally written for television by Reginald Rose in 1954 and subsequently adapted for stage (1955), film(1957) and television again (1997), effectively conveys the central importance of the right to a jury trial afforded by Article III of the Constitution as well as Amendments V, VI, and XIV.
Scottsboro Boys and To Kill a Mockingbird: Two Trials for the Classroom
In this lesson, students will perform a comparative close reading of select informational texts from the Scottsboro Boys trials alongside sections from To Kill a Mockingbird. Students analyze the two trials and the characters and arguments involved in them to see how fictional “truth” both mirrors and departs from the factual experience that inspired it.
To Kill A Mockingbird and the Scottsboro Boys Trial: Profiles in Courage
Students study select court transcripts and other primary source material from the second Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933, a continuation of the first trial in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African-American youths of rape.
Crime
No matter who you are, crime affects your life. As a student, your school might be vandalized or your wallet stolen. As a taxpayer, you will be expected to contribute money in the fight against crime or to repair the damage it does. As a voter, you will be asked to chose candidates based in part, at least, on their views about solutions to crime. Everyone agrees that crime is a serious problem. Few agree about its causes or solutions. Teachers can help students explore these concepts in this unit plan with accompanying texts.
Voices of History
Voices of History is a collection of eight Bill of Rights Institute curriculum resources including Being An American, Preserving the Bill of Rights, Founders and the Constitution, Supreme Court DBQs, Liberty and Security in Modern Times, Religious Liberty: An American Experiment, and Heroes and Villains. Teachers will have free access to each resources’ lessons plans and handouts.
Making Civics Real
A multimedia workshop for high school civics teachers. It includes 8, 1-hour video programs, a print guide to the workshop activities, and a website. The goal of this workshop is to give teachers new resources and ideas to reinvigorate civic education. The series presents authentic teachers in diverse school settings modeling a variety of teaching techniques and best practices in a variety of social studies courses from a 9th-grade government/civics/econ course, to a 12th-grade law course
Constitutional Index – Amendment 6 Speedy Trial Clause
The Constitutional Index breaks down the U.S. Constitution by Section, Amendment, and Clause and contains broader topics and themes. These are used to cross-reference Library resources in an effort to annotate constitutional history.
Constitutional Index – Amendment 6 Public Trial Clause
The Constitutional Index breaks down the U.S. Constitution by Section, Amendment, and Clause and contains broader topics and themes. These are used to cross-reference Library resources in an effort to annotate constitutional history.
Constitutional Index – Amendment 6 Impartial Jury Clause
The Constitutional Index breaks down the U.S. Constitution by Section, Amendment, and Clause and contains broader topics and themes. These are used to cross-reference Library resources in an effort to annotate constitutional history.