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As we begin the twenty-first century, I find that there is a fine line that is growing thinner between a United States citizen’s individual rights and safety for the general public order. As the years pass, there are fewer individual rights that are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the first ten amendments, known as The Bill of Rights. When the U.S. Constitution was first written, individual rights were just assumed to exist within the provisions made (Ahern). In other words, it was written without any amendments. After further discussion and the gathering of suggestions and ideas, the first ten amendments were added. Some of the individual rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, including those affecting criminal defendants in the criminal justice courts, are protection from abuse of power. Additional individual rights include the right to petition the government, the right to congregate with other individuals peaceably in a public place, the freedom to attend a chosen religion of their choice, the privilege to speak freely in public, the freedom of the use of press, and the constant pursuit of happiness (The First Amendment). The Bill of Rights and other amendments p