The
U.S. Bill of Rights:
Before
you come to America, it is essential that you know your rights under
the law. The U.S. Bill of Rights
is a group of generally worded "amendments" (changes or additions)
to the U.S. Constitution designed to
protect your civil liberties. Lawyers often use these amendments to
support their clients' claims.
Other
Important Laws
If you
are discriminated against:
The
Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based
on one's race, religion, national origin or sex (including pregnancy).
If you believe you have been fired from your job or otherwise harassed
or discriminated against based on any of these factors, you may have
an actionable case. You should first speak to your employer addressing
your concerns before consulting an attorney. Litigation can be very
complicated, expensive and time-consuming.
If you
are arrested:
!
Your
"Miranda Rights" prevent you
from incriminating yourself if you confess to a crime at the time
of your arrest or during interrogation by the police. The law does
not require the police to read you your rights at the time of arrest
(they only need "probable cause" to arrest) but they are
required by the Miranda law to do so before you are interrogated or
they will risk having your testimony thrown out of court.
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The
"Miranda" Rights
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1. You
have the right to remain silent.
2.
Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.
3.
You have the right to have an attorney present now and during
any future questioning.
4.
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you
free of charge if you wish.
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Read more about the history of the "Miranda" law
here.
If you
are arrested, you have the right to make one personal phone call -
this could be to a family member or your attorney
!
California
"Three Strikes and You're Out" Law - if you are convicted
of three felonies you may go to prison for life. Learn more about
the law and its history here.
Useful
Links for Immigrant's Rights:
The American
Civil Liberties Union is an excellent resource for learning more about
your civil rights and liberties, and learning about detention and removal
if you are an illegal alien:
http://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrant/hmir.html
You can
also subscribe to a number of online newsletters for immigrant's rights:
http://www.topica.com/dir/?cid=1589
The National
Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has a good list of links to
immigrants' rights organizations:
http://www.nnirr.org/immigration/immigration_links.html
The National
Organization for Women's (NOW) Legal and Education Defense Fund underwrites
an Immigrant Women Program. Learn about both current and pending federal
legislation designed to protect battered immigrant women at this site:
http://www.nowldef.org/html/issues/imm/factsh.shtml
