


                      CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
                              (as amended to 1974)

                                    PREAMBLE

          We, the people  of the state  of Minnesota, grateful  to God
          for our civil  and religious liberty,  and desiring to  per-
          petuate its blessings and  secure the same to  ourselves and
          our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

                                   ARTICLE I

                                 BILL OF RIGHTS

Sec. 1.   Government is instituted for the security, benefit and  pro-
          tection of the people, in whom all political power is inher-
          ent, together with the right to alter, modify or reform gov-
          ernment whenever required by the public good.

Sec. 2.   No member  of this state shall be disfranchised  or deprived
          of any of  the rights or  privileges secured to  any citizen
          thereof, unless by the law  of the land or the  judgement of
          his peers.  There shall  be neither  slavery nor involuntary
          servitude in the  state otherwise than  as punishment for  a
          crime of which the party has been convicted.

Sec. 3.   The liberty of the press shall forever remain inviolate, and
          all persons may freely speak, write and publish their senti-
          ments on all  subjects, being responsible  for the abuse  of
          that right.

Sec. 4.   The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, and shall
          extend to all cases at  law without regard to the  amount in
          controversy.  A jury trial  may be waived by the  parties in
          all cases in the manner prescribed by law.  The  legislature
          may provide that the agreement of five-sixths of a jury in a
          civil action or proceeding,  after not less than  six hours'
          deliberation, is a sufficient verdict.

Sec. 5.   Excessive  bail shall not  be required, nor excessive  fines
          imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted.

Sec. 6.   In all  criminal  prosecutions the accused  shall enjoy  the
          right to a speedy and  public trial by an impartial  jury of
          the county  or district  wherein the  crime shall  have been
          committed, which  county or  district shall  have been  pre-
          viously  ascertained  by  law.  The  accused shall enjoy the
          right to be  informed of the  nature and cause  of the accu-
          sation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him,  to
          have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor
          and to have the assistance of counsel in his defense.

Sec. 7.   No person  shall  be held to  answer for a  criminal offense
          without due process of law, and no person shall be put twice
          in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense, nor be  com-
          pelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself,
          nor be  deprive of  life, liberty,  or property  without due
          process  of  law.   All  persons  before conviction shall be
          bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses
          when the proof is  evident or presumption great.  The privi-
          lege of  the writ  of habeas  corpus shall  not be suspended
          unless the public safety may require it in case of rebellion
          or invasion.

Sec. 8.   Every person is entitled to a certain remedy in the laws for
          all injuries or wrongs which  he may receive to his  person,
          property  or  character,  and  to  obtain justice freely and
          without purchase,  completely and  without denial,  promptly
          and without delay, comformably to the laws.

Sec. 9.   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  on
          the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or  on
          confession in open court.

Sec. 10.  The right  of the  people to  be secure  in  their  persons,
          houses, papers  and effects,  against unreasonable  searches
          and seizures  shall not  be violated;  and no  warrant shall
          issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or  affirm-
          ation, and particularly describing the place to be  searched
          and the person or things to be seized.

Sec. 11.  No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or any law  impair-
          ing the obligation of contracts shall be passed, and no con-
          viction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of  es-
          tate.

Sec. 12.  No  person shall be imprisoned  for debt in this  state, but
          this shall  not prevent  the legislature  from providing for
          imprisonment, or holding to bail, persons charged with fraud
          in contracting  such debt.  A reasonable  amount of property
          shall be exempt from seizure or sale for the payment of  any
          debt or  liability. The  amount of  such exemption  shall be
          determined by law. Provided,  however, that all property  so
          exempted shall be liable to  seizure and sale for any  debts
          incurred to any person for work done or materials  furnished
          in the construction, repair or improvement of the same,  and
          provided further,  that such  liability to  seizure and sale
          shall also extend to all  real property for any debt  to any
          laborer or servant for labor or service performed.

Sec. 13.  Private property  shall  not be taken,  destroyed or damaged
          for  public  use  without  just compensation therefor, first
          paid or secured.

Sec. 14.  The military shall be subordinate to the civil power and  no
          standing army shall be maintained in this state in times  of
          peace.

Sec. 15.  All lands within  the state are allodial and feudal  tenures
          of every description with all their incidents are  prohibit-
          ed.  Leases  and grants of  agricultural lands for  a longer
          period than 21 years reserving  rent or service of any  kind
          shall be void.

Sec. 16.  The enumeration  of rights  in this  Constitution  shall not
          deny or impair others retained  by and inherent in the  peo-
          ple.  The right of every man to worship God according to the
          dictates of his own conscience shall never be infringed; nor
          shall any man be compelled  to attend, erect or support  any
          place of worship, or to maintain any religious or ecclesias-
          tical ministry, against his  consent; nor shall any  control
          of or interference with the rights of conscience be  permit-
          ted, or any preference be given by law to any religious  es-
          tablishment or mode of  worship; but the liberty  of consci-
          ence hereby secured shall not  be so construed as to  excuse
          acts  of  licentiousness  or  justify practices inconsistent
          with the peace and safety of the state, nor shall any  money
          be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any  religious
          societies or religious or theological seminaries.

Sec. 17.  No religious test or amount of property shall be required as
          a qualification for any office of public trust in the state.
          No religious test or amount of property shall be required as
          a qualification of any voter at any election in this  state;
          nor shall any  person be rendered  incompetent to give  evi-
          dence in any  court of law  or equity in  consequence of his
          opinion upon the subject of religion.

