


                     CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
                              (As amended to 1972)
                                    PREAMBLE

          We, the  people of  the state  of Michigan,  grateful to Al-
          mighty God for the  blessings of freedom, and  earnestly de-
          siring to secure  these blessings undiminished  to ourselves
          and our  posterity, do  ordain and  establish this Constitu-
          tion.

                                    ARTICLE I

                              DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Sec. 1.   All political power is inherent in the people. Government is
          instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.

Sec. 2.   No person shall be denied the equal protection of the  laws;
          nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of his civil or
          political rights or be discriminated against in the exercise
          thereof because of religion, race, color or national origin.
          The legislature shall implement this Section by  appropriate
          legislation.

Sec. 3.   The people have the right peaceably to assemble, to  consult
          for the common good,  to instruct their representatives  and
          to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Sec. 4.   Every person shall be at liberty to worship God according to
          the dictates of his own conscience.  No person shall be com-
          pelled to attend, or, against his consent, to contribute  to
          the erection or support  of any place of  religious worship,
          or to pay  tithes, taxes or  other rates for  the support of
          any minister of the gospel or teacher of religion.  No money
          shall be  appropriated or  drawn from  the treasury  for the
          benefit of  any religious  sect or  society, theological  or
          religious  seminary;  nor  shall  property  belonging to the
          state be appropriated for any  such purpose.  The civil  and
          political  rights,  privileges  and  capacities of no person
          shall be diminished or enlarged on account of his  religious
          belief.

Sec. 5.   Every person  may freely  speak, write, express and  publish
          his views on all  subjects, being responsible for  the abuse
          of such right;  and no law  shall be enacted  to restrain or
          abridge the liberty of speech or of the press.

Sec. 6.   Every person has a  right to keep and bear arms for the  de-
          fense of himself and the state.

Sec. 7.   The  military  shall  in all  cases and  at all  times be in
          strict subordination to the civil power.

Sec. 8.   No  soldier  shall,  in time  of peace,  be quartered in any
          house without the  consent of the  owner or occupant,nor  in
          time of war, except in a manner prescribed by law

Sec. 9.   Neither slavery,  nor  involuntary servitude unless  for the
          punishment of crime, shall ever be tolerated in this state.

Sec. 10.  No bill of attainder, ex post facto law or law impairing the
          obligation of contract shall be enacted.

Sec. 11.  The person,  houses, papers and possessions of  every person
          shall be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures.  No
          warrant to search any place or to seize any person or things
          shall issue  without describing  them, nor  without probable
          cause, supported by oath or affirmation.  The provisions  of
          this Section shall not be construed to bar from evidence  in
          any criminal  proceeding any  narcotic drug,  firearm, bomb,
          explo- sive or any other dangerous weapon, seized by a peace
          officer outside the curtilage of any dwelling house in  this
          state.

Sec. 12.  The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be sus-
          pended unless in  case of rebellion  or invasion the  public
          safety may require it.

Sec. 13.  A suitor in any court of this state has the right to  prose-
          cute or defend his suit, either in his own proper person  or
          by an attorney.

Sec. 14.  The right of trial by jury shall remain, but shall be waived
          in all civil cases unless demanded by one of the parties  in
          the manner prescribed by law.   In all civil cases tried  by
          12 jurors a verdict shall be received when 10 jurors agree.

Sec. 15.  No person shall be subject for the same offense to be  twice
          put in  jeopardy. All  persons shall,  before conviction, be
          bailable by sufficient sureties, except for murder and trea-
          son when the proof is evident or the presumption great.

Sec. 16.  Excessive bail shall not be required; excessive fines  shall
          not be  imposed; cruel  or unusual  punishment shall  not be
          inflicted; nor shall witnesses be unreasonably detained.

Sec. 17.  No  person 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. The right of all in-
          dividuals, firms, corporations and voluntary associations to
          fair and just treatment in the course of legislative and ex-
          ecutive investigations and hearings shall not be infringed.

Sec. 18.  No person shall  be rendered incompetent to be a  witness on
          account of his opinions on matters of religious belief.

Sec. 19.  In all  prosecutions  for libel, the  truth may be  given in
          evidence to the  jury; and, if  it appears to  the jury that
          the matter  charged as  libelous is  true and  was published
          with  good  motives  and  for  justifiable ends, the accused
          shall be acquitted.

Sec. 20.  In every  criminal  prosecution, the accused  shall have the
          right to  a speedy  and public  trial by  an impartial jury,
          which may consist of less  than 12 jurors in all  courts not
          of record; to be informed  of the nature of the  accusation;
          to be  confronted with  the witnesses  against him;  to have
          compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor;  to
          have the assistance of counsel  for his defense; to have  an
          appeal as a matter of  right; and in courts of  record, when
          the trial court so  orders, to have such  reasonable assist-
          ance as may be necessary to perfect and prosecute an appeal.

Sec. 21.  No person  shall  be imprisoned for  debt arising out  of or
          founded on contract, express or implied, except in cases  of
          fraud or breach of trust.

Sec. 22.  Treason against the State shall consist only in levying  war
          against it or adhering to  its enemies, giving them aid  and
          comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless upon
          the testimony of two witnesses  to the same overt act  or on
          confession in open court.

Sec. 23.  The enumeration in this constitution of certain rights shall
          not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the
          people.



