7326. Connecticut Constitutional Law

The focus of this course is on the Connecticut Constitution. The course will address cases in which the Connecticut appellate courts have agreed or declined to expand individual rights under the Connecticut Constitution beyond the federally-guaranteed minimum. The subject area will include both civil issues, such as freedom of speech, the right to education, equal protection of the laws, and the right to bear arms, and criminal matters, such as search, seizure, and arrest, jury selection, and the death penalty. The course will examine both the substantive holdings of the cases as well as the method used (original intent, textualism, contemporary values) to interpret the constitution. The goals of the course are 1) to reinforce understanding of the federal constitution, 2) to examine methods of interpreting the federal and state constitutions, 3) to appreciate the role of the state constitution as an independent charter of rights, and 4) to learn substantive Connecticut state Constitutional law. We will also take an occasional look at other state constitutions.