دانلود کتاب دستی پاسخ قانونی، ویرایش دوم

The late, great attorney Alfred M. Knight once wrote in his book The Life of the Law (1996) that “what may be remembered most” about American civilization was its legal system. He proclaimed that “nothing like it” had ever been developed and spoke of “its breathtaking generosity to the individual.” While many criticize the legal system as too slow or too complex, at its root the legal system is a wonder to behold. It provides order from chaos, a mechanism by which individuals can seek redress without resorting to private acts of violence. This second edition of The Handy Law Answer Book seeks to unpack the complexities of the legal system and provide readers with a common-sense approach and answers to fundamental questions about different areas of the law. The text begins with an overview of the U.S. Constitution—the basic charter of our legal system. The Constitution and its “Supremacy Clause” ensures that it represents the top echelon of the law. It provides a structure of government that includes three different branches. All three branches are discussed in this initial chapter. The second chapter of the book provides an overview of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the Bill of Rights. Included in the Bill of Rights are precious freedoms such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to keep and bear arms, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. This chapter also discusses the Fourteenth Amendment—an amendment that has been called the “second Bill of Rights.” It is through the Fourteenth Amendment that most of the constitutional freedoms found in the Bill of Rights are extended and applied to limit state and local government officials.