The First Eight Amendments

The constitution of the United States of America contains the amendments that give American citizens their everyday rights and privileges. “Within the first eight amendments of the Bill of Rights, there are 25 specific liberties and protections for individuals. Of those 25 protections, fifteen relate directly to the criminal process.” This information comes from sixthamendment.org. These amendments include things like: freedom of speech, the right to a speedy and fair trail, the right to a grand jury and right to a fair trial in cases of criminal trials, and the right to bail. In this essay we will discuss only the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth amendment and how it protects the citizens of the United States.
The Fifth amendment which was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789 and was ratified on December 15, 1791 states that “providing chiefly that no person be required to testify against himself or herself in a criminal case and that no person be subjected to a second trial for an offense for which he or she has been duly tried previously.” This means that the defendant does not have to testify why he or she is guilty or not guilty. This amendment also protects against double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is the prosecution of a person twice

for the same offense. According to Cornell University “The Fifth Amendment specifically guarantees the right to a grand jury and right to a fair trial in cases of criminal trials. In addition to those explicit guarantees, the Fifth Amendment provides other protective measures in matters involving criminal and civil proceedings.”
The Sixth amendment of the constitution which was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789 and was ratified on December 15, 1791 states “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.” This helps protect the citizens of the United States by allowing the person charged with the crime in question to not sit in jail for months or years without knowing what he or she has actually been arrested and are being detained for. This also states that there will be an impartial jury made up of people who have no relation to the cases or any persons involved. That the trail will be held in the city or town that the crime was committed and that the judge will inform the defendant and the courtroom of all the charges being brought against him or her.
The final amendment to be discussed is the Eighth.

The Eighth amendment which was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789 and was ratified on December 15, 1791 states that “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This helps protect citizens by not allowing the judge to assign the defendant an excessive bail without knowing whether he or she is guilty of the crime in question. The second part states that there shall be no cruel or unusual punishment although it has not really been determined what is cruel and what is not. Things like branding, strangulation, being locked in stocks or burned where still means of punishment when the Eighth amendment was

written.
In conclusion, the amendments that make up the constitution were written to provide rights and privileges to the American people. These amendments, that make up the Bill of Rights, has provided much help and leniency to those accused of crimes in the United States of American.