INTRODUCTION SUPREME POWER SUPREME LAW the WE the PEOPLE LEGAL PRIMER HOLISTIC VISION Democracy Means a Form of Government Law Differs from Power
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WE THE PEOPLE LEGAL PRIMER Forms Of Address And Salutations ...................................... 67 The Constitution Of The United States Of America ............. 2 English Grammar And Usage ............................................... 68 Amendments To The Constitution ......................................... 5 Your Health And Your Freedom .......................................... 70 The Bill Of Rights For Criminal Defendants ......................... 7 The Strangest Secret In The World ...................................... 71 An Overview Of State Constitutions...................................... 7 Desiderata ............................................................................. 71 Interpretations Of The Constitution ....................................... 7 The History Of Law ............................................................... 8 ADDITIONAL LEGAL INFORMATION ........................... 72 Speeches And Other Writings ...............................................11 Protecting Your Rights In Prison: ........................................... 72 The American Republic: Division Of Power ........................12 After Your Release ................................................................ 73 Basic Judicial Doctrines ........................................................12 The Structure Of The Federal Judiciary ................................12 NATIONAL PRISONER RESOURCE LIST ..................... 73 The Jurisdiction Of The Federal Judiciary ............................13 Artists & Writers In Prison ................................................... 73 The Structure Of The State Judiciaries .................................13 Correspondence/Higher Education ....................................... 73 Federal Appellate Procedure .................................................14 Friends & Families ............................................................... 73 The Writ Of Habeas Corpus..................................................16 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender ............................... 74 Due Process Of Law .............................................................16 Information Services ............................................................ 74 United States District Court Prisoner’s Pro Se Handbook ....18 Legal Publications & Education ........................................... 75 Post-Conviction Remedies ....................................................24 Prisoner Support ................................................................... 75 Cleaning Up A Criminal Record ...........................................24 Prisons, Justice, And Politics ................................................ 76 Thinking And Logic In The Practice Of Law .......................25 Religion & Spiritual Materials ............................................. 76 The Proper Mentality For Legal Research ............................26 Vocational & Career Training Resources ............................. 77 Justice: A View By Organizational Science .........................27 Women’s Resources ............................................................. 77 How To Shepardize®............................................................28 Miscellaneous ....................................................................... 77 West’s Key Number System ® .....................................30 Free Books To Prisoners Programs ...................................... 78 Citations: Reading And Writing ..........................................31 Courtroom Etiquette ..............................................................33 WHAT IS THE PRISON BOOK PROGRAM .................... 80 Dictionary Of Legal Words And Phrases ..............................34 Who is Lucy Parsons and the Lucy Parsons Bookstore? ...... 80 Dictionary Of Abbreviations And Symbols ..........................59 Who Can Request Books? .................................................... 80 Dictionary Of Latin Words And Phrases ..............................59 How To Request Books From Prison Book Program .......... 80 Legislative Words And Phrases ............................................63 Help Us Out .......................................................................... 80 Legal Quotations ...................................................................63 FIRST EDITION CONDENSED COMMENTS AND REQUESTS TO: DISCLAIMER RECOMMENDED LEGAL ADVICE First Edition Condensed — May 2004 Legal Primer The author of the We the People Legal Incarcerated pro se defendants should Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved. c/o Prison Book Program Primer has endeavored to make this obtain legal advice from primary and A free primer. For imprisoned people only, 1306 Hancock Street, Suite 100 primer as accurate and complete as secondary authorities (publications), who can reproduce it without permission. Quincy, MA 02169 possible. However, readers must not cite lawyers, legal associations, law school [email protected] it or rely upon it as legal authority. students, and jailhouse lawyers. INTRODUCTION SUPREME POWER SUPREME LAW THE WE THE PEOPLE LEGAL PRIMER HOLISTIC VISION Democracy means a form of government Law differs from power. The people, The American people declare the This primer provides a holistic view in which the sovereign power resides in through their supreme power, create and Constitution of the United States of of pro se legal research by addressing the citizens either directly or indirectly empower law — meaning rules that all America as “the supreme law of the land;” all aspects of the law — the physical, the through a system of representation. people must obey in order to protect the with the powers of the federal and state mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of freedoms and rights of everyone. In legislatures, executives, and judiciaries the Constitution of the United States and Article VI of the Constitution of the United depending from it. With this in mind, the OUR WORLD the third President of the United States, States of America, the authors, in We the People Legal Primer begins with Our world, after all, consists of people. referred to the American people as the representing the people, wrote: the Constitution of the United States of All the laws, technologies, and good surely permanent “repository” (security vault) of “This Constitution ... shall be America, and it borrows the Constitution’s amount to nothing if they do not further the the supreme power in the United States. the supreme law of the land...” first three words for use in its title. lives of the people. ` August 2019 first election, they shall be divided as equally secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the THE CONSTITUTION OF as may be into three classes. The seats of members of either House on any question THE UNITED STATES OF the Senators of the first class shall be shall, at the desire of one fifth of those AMERICA vacated at the expiration of the second year, present, be entered on the journal. —— of the second class at the expiration of the Neither House, during the session of of the United States, in fourth year, and the third class at the Congress, shall, without the consent of the order to form a more perfect union, establish expiration of the sixth year, so that one third other, adjourn for more than three days, nor justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide may be chosen every second year; and if to any other place than that in which the two for the common defense, promote the vacancies happen by resignation, or Houses shall be sitting. general welfare, and secure the blessings of otherwise, during the recess of the Section 6. The Senators and liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do legislature of any state, the executive thereof Representatives shall receive a ordain and establish this Constitution for the may make temporary appointments until the compensation for their services, to be United States of America. next meeting of the legislature, which shall ascertained by law, and paid out of the Article One then fill such vacancies. —— No person treasury of the United States. They shall in Section 1. All legislative powers herein shall be a Senator who shall not have all cases, except treason, felony and breach granted shall be vested in a Congress of the attained to the age of thirty years, and been of the peace, be privileged from arrest during United States, which shall consist of a nine years a citizen of the United States and their attendance at the session of their Senate and House of Representatives. who shall not, when elected, be an respective Houses, and in going to and inhabitant of that state for which he shall be Section 2. The House of Representatives returning from the same; and for any speech chosen. —— The Vice President of the or debate in either House, they shall not be shall be composed of members chosen United States shall be President of the every second year by the people of the questioned in any other place. —— No Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they Senator or Representative shall, during the several states, and the electors in each state be equally divided. —— The Senate shall shall have the qualifications requisite for time for which he was elected, be appointed choose their other officers, and also a to any civil office under the authority of the electors of the most numerous branch of the President pro tempore, in the absence of the state legislature. —— No person shall be a United States, which shall have been Vice President, or when