The Bill of Rights is the first ten Amendments to the Constitution of the United States. It spells out Americans’ rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.

The Bill of Rights also sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government to the people or to the states. And it specifies that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

In Indiana, as in all states, the Bill of Rights provides the foundational civil liberties and rights that protect individuals from government overreach. These first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution guarantee freedoms such as speech, press, and religion, and ensure due process of law. The Tenth Amendment, in particular, reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people, which underpins the principle of federalism that is central to the state-federal relationship. Indiana's own constitution also mirrors and reinforces these rights, providing an additional layer of protection to its residents. For instance, Article 1 of the Indiana Constitution is a Bill of Rights that secures many of the same freedoms as the U.S. Bill of Rights, and sometimes provides broader protections under state law. When there are questions or disputes about these rights, attorneys in Indiana may argue cases based on both federal and state constitutional principles, and courts will interpret these rights in the context of specific situations.