Most of us have a good feel for the rights we have been granted through the Bill of Rights added to the United States Constitution. We are familiar with our Miranda and Fifth Amendment rights. And we have confidence in the nature of civilization as we know it. However, I have been surprised by the difference between the concept of our abstract rights and what they mean in application, particularly concerning law enforcement. Using case examples, I will give you a taste of what things like excessive force and cruel and unusual punishment mean in constitutional scholarship for those in trouble with the law. And we will see the academic impact of qualified immunity. Come and find out just how grand it is to be a law-abiding citizen.
Deborah Sundermann is a life-long Unitarian Universalist and a 28-year member of this congregation. She was licensed to practice law in Texas in 1985 and is board-certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Since 2011, she has worked for a United States District Judge (a federal trial judge) as a Career Law Clerk (an antiquated term for Chief Counsel to the Judge), evaluating cases and drafting opinions. A large percentage of that work involves litigation filed by those who are arrested, detained, or incarcerated, seeking to avenge their civil rights.
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