There are many people who are confused about what their true civil rights are. Television and movies depict civil rights as being things completely different than what they actually are. The following guide walks you through a few commonly confused civil rights:
When you are accused of a crime, you have the right to have an attorney appointed to represent you when you go to trial, if you cannot afford to hire one on your own. The attorney is appointed by the court. You do not have the right to pick any attorney you choose and have the government pay for the representation. Many people are confused because they assume that the right to representation means any representation they choose, when really they do not.
Legal Search and Seizure
You are protected from illegal searches and seizures. An officer has to have probable cause to search you, your home, or your vehicle. They cannot search you or your property simply because of the way you look or how you talk.
An officer does not have to have a warrant to do the search, contrary to popular belief. If the officer can see something from the outside of the property or feels that someone is in danger, they can go into the property without the warrant.
Legal Bearing of Arms
You are guaranteed the legal ability to bear arms, however there are stipulations and guidelines to the legal bearing of arms. If you carry a loaded weapon into a school, you are not protected by your civil liberties because it is against the law to carry weapons into schools. The civil right to bear arms is based on the ability for you to protect yourself and your family.
You are afforded the ability to legally vote regardless of your race, religion, or sex. There are guidelines when it comes to voting that must be followed though. You may have to prove that you are who you say you are to ensure that only legal voters are voting. This does not mean you are not being granted your civil right to vote though. It simply means you must abide by the guidelines set forth by the government before being afforded the ability to cast your vote.
If you feel that your civil rights have been violated, you can hire an attorney to fight for you in court to sue for the violation of your rights. The attorney will know what steps to take to prove that they were violated and fight for the proper compensation for the violation.
For more information, contact a company like Marie A. Mattox, P.A. with any questions you have.