Street Law
CHAPTER 1
Ring Activity
 What was easy about the game?
 What was difficult about the game?
 What was the purpose of this activity in relation to
Street Law?
Law
 Rules and regulations made and enforced by
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government that regulate conduct within a society
Jurisprudence- the study of law and legal philosophy
Home, School, Outside World
Without law there would be confusion and disorder
No one is above the law. (Laws are the same for all.)
Problem 1.1
 List 10 daily activities
 Next to each item, list a law that may affect the
activity

Going to school – can’t drop out until 18
 Would you change any of these laws? Why or why
not?
Laws and Values
 Laws are influenced by society’s ideas of right/wrong
 Laws must balance minority rights with majority rule
along with responsibilities
 As values change, so do laws
Goals of Legal System
 Protect human rights
 Promote fairness
 Help resolve conflict
 Promote social order and stability
 Promote desirable social and economic behavior
 Represent the will of the majority
 Protect the rights of minorities
Values Creating Laws
 Moral
 Killing
 Economic
 Tax benefits to home owners
 Political
 Vote
 Social
 Free public education
 Combined Values
 Stealing (wrong, loss of property, punishment, respect)
Can Laws Solve Social Problems?
 Alcoholism
 Drug Abuse
Which Value is Involved?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Economic, Social, Political, or Moral?
All drivers must stop at stop signs.
It is a crime to cheat on your tax return.
All citizens may vote at age eighteen.
Special government programs lend money to
minority-owned businesses at low interest rates.
Government officials may not accept gifts from
people who want them to pass certain laws.
Possession of marijuana is a crime.
Answers
 All drivers must stop at stop signs. S
 It is a crime to cheat on your tax return. E
 All citizens may vote at age eighteen. P
 Special government programs lend money to
minority-owned businesses at low interest rates. E
 Government officials may not accept gifts from
people who want them to pass certain laws. M
 Possession of marijuana is a crime. M
The Case of the Shipwrecked Sailors
 Read the case on page 7
 Answer questions a-f and save to your shared folder
Human Rights
 Rights that belong to all people simply because they
are human beings
 Dignity and respect
 Homes, schools, workplaces
What human rights are important to you?
 Problem 1.3 pg. 8
 Answer questions a-f
 Discuss with class
What human rights are important to others?
 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
 Protects freedoms of speech, religion, press, and right to
participate in government
 Adequate food, education, housing, health care
 Job, safe working conditions, salary, own property
 Countries use human rights when writing laws
 Human Rights in USA pg. 10
 Read and answer a-c
 Discuss with class
Balancing Rights with Responsibilities
 With every right comes a responsibility
 Trial by jury- serve on a jury
 Democracy- vote
 Attend school- _________________________
 Just because you have the right to do something does
not mean that you should
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Freedom of speech- hateful/abusive words
Kinds of Laws
 Criminal Law
 Public conduct in society
 Punished by prison, fine, supervision
 Felonies- punished by more than one year in prison
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Murder, robbery
Misdemeanor- punished by less than one year in prison/fine

Assault, theft
 Civil Law
 Argument between two people
 Lawsuit for cash
Trial
 Defendant- person accused of crime
 Plaintiff- person harmed by defendant
 Prosecutor- lawyer helping plaintiff
 Beyond a reasonable doubt- every person on the jury
must be certain the defendant committed the crime
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One juror that believes the defendant is innocent will set the
defendant free
Criminal Cases
 Preponderance of evidence- the evidence shows the
defendant PROBABLY committed the crime
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Civil Cases
Criminal or Civil Laws?
 Problem 1.7 pg. 14
 Read and answer a-c
Our Constitutional Framework
 Highest law in land
 Limited government
 Checks and Balances
 Bill of Rights
 First 10 Amendments
 Separation of powers
 3 branches: executive (President), legislative (Congress),
judicial (Supreme Court)
Legislative Branch
 Congress
 Two houses: Senate and House of Representatives
 Writes/Passes laws (Statutes)
 Laws must pass both houses
 Can override Presidential Veto with 2/3 vote
Executive Branch
 Veto- cancel a law written by Congress
Judicial Branch
 Judicial review- examines a law from Congress
 Unconstitutional- violates the Constitution and
cannot exist
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Congress does not have authority to pass law (State issue)
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Federalism (State, Federal, Both Powers)
Congress passed a law that violates the Constitution
Constitutional Principles
 Problem 1.9 pg. 18
 Read and answer a-e
Chapter 1 Project
 Laws
 Human Rights
 Constitution
 The Bill of Rights protects our freedoms as American
citizens. Using your book pg. 424, list Amendments
1-10. Then explain what human right is being
protected by each Amendment. Then examine each
Amendment again. Are there any laws that limit
these rights? Explain the law and why the limit
exists.
Example Chapter 1 Project
 1st Amendment: Freedoms of speech, religion, press,
assembly, petition
 Human rights- worship god of choice, make
complaints in order to make change
 Laws that limit those rights- no human
sacrifices/abuse in the name of religion, cannot yell
“Fire” in a movie theater, cannot print false
statements about someone/business