The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees all US citizens the right to an attorney in a court of law. This right is meant to help protect you against accusations of criminal activity, and to ensure that you have the full ability to defend yourself in court. Here are five things you need to know about your right to an attorney:
(more…)A recent study from St. Louis University found that a cave system located in Missouri had microplastics located in its water and sediment, despite being off limits to people for three decades. This alarming find shows just how pervasive the contamination of microplastics has become, and that even areas ostensibly untouched by humanity can still be polluted. This raises questions of just how extensive microplastic contamination is, and what might need to be done to address it.
(more…)The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right of every American against unreasonable searches or seizures without probable cause. However, the police do not always respect people’s rights, resulting in an illegal search or seizure of your person or property. Here are five ways law enforcement might perform an illegal search against you:
(more…)In a lawsuit that has been described as a “gamechanger” for climate and environmental law, a group of young adults from Montana have successfully sued the state for violating their constitutional right to a healthy environment. The suit is based on the theory that the state’s environmental laws, particularly with respect to fossil fuels, violated the state constitution, which guarantees its citizens a “clean and healthful environment.” Environmental activists are hoping that this will be the first of many similar lawsuits to help curtail climate emissions around the country.
(more…)Verizon, the major telecommunications company, is facing a proposed class action suit from its shareholders after allegedly failing to disclose potential environmental and health risks associated with its lead-wrapped cables. These cables are found all across the country, and may pose health risks to people who live in areas where they are located. Verizon has said that it is currently testing these cables to assess potential risks, but denies any wrongdoing.
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