The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that the federal government may not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law:

“No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

And the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that state governments may not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

In Connecticut, as in all states, the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides protections against federal government actions, including the right to due process, protection against double jeopardy, self-incrimination, and the taking of private property without just compensation. The Fourteenth Amendment extends similar protections against state governments, ensuring that Connecticut cannot deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law and must provide equal protection under the law. Connecticut state statutes and case law work in conjunction with these constitutional provisions to ensure that individuals' rights are protected in the state's legal proceedings. This means that in Connecticut, as elsewhere in the United States, individuals have the right to fair legal processes, cannot be tried for the same crime twice, cannot be forced to testify against themselves, and are entitled to just compensation if their property is taken for public use. Additionally, Connecticut must provide all individuals within its jurisdiction equal protection, meaning that the state's laws and their application must not discriminate unjustly between persons.