Short-Form

Writer: Gabriella Ruffels

The Fifth Amendment protects any citizen against being “compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” In other words, it prevents defendants from being coerced into providing incriminating, testimonial communications that could be used against them in court; however, it does not protect every piece of evidence that comes from a defendant.

Writer: Lucas Kramer

The death penalty is as American as apple pie, and the U.S. Constitution, but why? The Eighth Amendment expressly prohibits “cruel and unusual punishments.” While some view capital punishment as an anachronistic practice that has no place in modern America, there are still others who endorse its continued use.