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  • Justices poised to adopt exceptions to federal criminal defendants’ appellate waivers March 6, 2026
    The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Tuesday in Hunter v. United States about what exceptions exist to federal defendants’ waivers of their right to appeal. The justices seemed poised […] The post Justices poised to adopt exceptions to federal criminal defendants’ appellate waivers appeared first on SCOTUSblog.
    Richard Cooke
  • Birthright citizenship: the exceptions provide the rule March 6, 2026
    The battle over birthright citizenship is a battle over its exceptions. The 14th Amendment’s first sentence proudly proclaims that “[a]ll persons born . . . in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction […] The post Birthright citizenship: the exceptions provide the rule appeared first on SCOTUSblog.
    Samarth Desai
  • The emergency docket’s critics have it backwards March 6, 2026
    Ratio Decidendi is a recurring series by Stephanie Barclay exploring the reasoning – from practical considerations to deep theory – behind our nation’s most consequential constitutional decisions. Last Monday, the […] The post The emergency docket’s critics have it backwards appeared first on SCOTUSblog.
    Stephanie Barclay

Welcome to Constitutional Law (CRJ200) Course Hub

Course Description

This course hub website contains OER/ZTC (Open Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Cost) resources for faculty teaching U.S. Constitutional Law (CRJ 200) at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). These resources are freely available for use by BMCC faculty and beyond.

This work was created by Daniel DiPrenda, as part of the BMCC Open Education Initiative, which is co-led by the A. Philip Randolph Library and the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (CETLS). The BMCC Open Education Initiative is supported by the CUNY Office of Library Services (OLS) and funded by the New York State Department of Education.

This course provides a historical overview of the relationship of the states to the Bill of Rights, and how the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the powers of the federal government. The effect of the due process clause of the fourteenth Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to the states is examined through a study of the leading Supreme Court decisions related to criminal justice. Topics include characteristics and powers of the three branches of government, the principles governing the operation of the Bill of Rights, and the variables affecting the formulation of judicial policy.

Tags

Articles of Confederation Automobile Case Brief Castle Doctrine Cell Phones Comment on Remaining Silent Consent Constitution Cruel and Unusual Punishment Discrimination in the Constitution/Slavery Due Process Eighth Amendment Exceptions to the Warrant Exigent Circumstances Fifth Amendment First Amendment Fourteenth Amendment Fourth Amendment Freedom of Speech Freedom to Assemble Free Press/Prior Restraint Fruits of the Poisonous Tree General Principles of the Fourth Amendment Incorporation Doctrine Inevitable Discovery and Attenuation In Schools Jury Selection Juvenile Life Imprisonment Miranda Warnings Probable Cause Public Trials Reasonable Suspicion Right to Confront Witnesses/Evidence Right to Counsel Search Incident to Lawful Arrest Second Amendment Self-Incrimination Self-Incrimination and Involuntariness Sex Offenders Sixth Amendment Stop and Frisk Supreme Court The Federalist Papers Trial Rights Wiretapping