OSHER 152 - Individual Rights and the Constitution Part 3: Due Process and the Right to Privacy

This course is the third in a series of courses addressing some of the individual rights protections afforded by the US Constitution. We have looked at Equal Protection and at the First Amendment in prior courses. This term we will explore the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, focusing on due process of law, the prohibition of unreasonable search and seizure and the development of the right to privacy, as well as protections against self-incrimination and double jeopardy. We will discuss the history and elements of these amendments, consider what we think the law should be, and then review a number of Supreme Court cases analyzing and interpreting the Constitutional language. Our discussion will center on those cases, in their historical context, as the standards and doctrines have developed over the last 200+ years.