Colorado Constitution Article II: The Bill of Rights (Part One)

In the design of the Colorado Constitution, the Bill of Rights is the most important article. It precedes the articles that create the government. In the express view of the Colorado Constitution, rights precede government, and the purpose of government is to protect inherent rights.

In Part One, presented by David Kopel, Research Director of the Independence Institute, sections 1 through 13 of the Bill of Rights are discussed. The program starts with the fundamental principles of government, set forth in sections 1-3, followed by the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, searches and seizures, grand juries, ex post facto laws, the right to arms, and other rights.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze how the Colorado Bill of Rights is sometimes similar to, but often different from, its federal counterpart in sections 1 through 13
2. Identify rights that are expressly protected in Colorado but not in the U.S. Constitution, including freedom or religion, freedom of speech, searches and seizures, grand juries, and the right to arms
3. Break down the rights that are described and protected in greater detail in Colorado than federally
4. Recognize which rights in sections 1 through 13 have been partially or fully nullified by the Colorado Supreme Court