RSS SCOTUSblog

  • The Supreme Court and the Indian nations August 10, 2026
    This article was adapted from an essay that first appeared in the essay collection America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance (MIT Press, 2026).***Indian nations occupy two distinct places in American history and law. American Indians are mentioned only once in the Declaration of Independence. They are in a phrase complaining about King George III’s […]
    Joseph William Singer
  • 12 angry men – or six? August 10, 2026
    “6 Angry Men” doesn’t have the same ring as the name of the famous film – but is 12 constitutionally required? Or is it merely a convention that some states choose to follow in the spirit of English common law? When the Supreme Court returns this fall, it will confront that question in Kian v. Florida, […]
    Anastasia Boden
  • Justice Alito isn’t going anywhere August 10, 2026
    Plus, the battle over the White House ballroom is likely headed to the Supreme Court.
    Kelsey Dallas, Eli Kronenberg

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