Speaking at the Alabama Power Company’s “Making History Now” Black History Month luncheon, Equal Justice Initiative founder and The Constitution Project contributor Bryan Stevenson argued that justice cannot be advanced without some discomfort. Stevenson urged his audience to have the courage to get close enough to feeling what they’re trying to correct. That discomfort, Stevenson explained, generates power, and from that power comes the ability to create change. To hear more compelling ideas from Stevenson, watch his 20-minute TED lecture, “We need to talk about injustice.” The lecture, viewed over 1.4 million times, generated a record-setting standing ovation for the TED lecture series. You can also watch him in a number of our films, including One Man Changes the Constitution about the fight to expand the right to counsel, and Jury Selection: Edmonson v. Leesville.
New Supreme Court Decision Expands Warrantless Searches of Homes
On Tuesday, February 25th the Supreme Court announced a 6-3 decision that allows police officers to conduct warrantless searches of private residences outside the context of an emergency. The Court ruled that police may enter and search a home without a warrant over the previous objections of one resident, as long as another occupant consents. To learn more about the 4th Amendment and constitutional protections against search and seizure, watch our award-winning film Search and Seizure: Mapp v. Ohio.
NJ Governor Christie Scandal Shines Light on Pleading the Fifth
Earlier this week a former aide to Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, cited her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when she announced she would not hand over documents in response to a subpoena issued by a legislative panel investigating allegations of politically-motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. Learn more about the Fifth Amendment, the right against self-incrimination and the landmark Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona that ensured the protection of that right for all people accused of a crime by watching our film, The Right to Remain Silent: Miranda v. Arizona.
