§1421b Bill of Rights

Summary

Protects many basic rights for people in Guam. People can practice religion, speak and publish freely, gather peacefully, and ask the government to fix wrongs. The government cannot quarter soldiers in a home in peacetime without the owner’s consent, and wartime quartering must follow laws. People are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures; police need probable cause and a specific warrant to search or arrest. No one can be tried twice for the same crime or forced to testify against themselves. The government must follow fair legal procedures before taking life, liberty, or property. If private property is taken for public use, the owner must receive fair payment. In criminal cases the accused must get a speedy, public trial, be told the charges, see the witnesses against them, bring witnesses, and have a lawyer. Bail, fines, and punishments must not be excessive or cruel. Slavery and forced labor are banned except as punishment after a lawful conviction. Also banned are laws that punish people without a trial or that criminalize acts retroactively, and people cannot be jailed for debt. The right to challenge unlawful detention (habeas corpus) cannot be suspended except for rebellion or invasion when public safety requires it. Only citizenship, legal capacity, and residence can be required to vote. No one may be discriminated against because of race, language, or religion, and everyone gets equal protection. Treason convictions need testimony from two witnesses to the same overt act or a confession in open court. Public money cannot be used to support churches or religious teachers. Children under 14 cannot work in jobs that are harmful or dangerous. School is required for children aged 6 to 16. No religious test is allowed for public office. People who support or belong to groups that seek to overthrow the government by force cannot hold public office. The following parts of the U.S. Constitution also apply in Guam: Article I, section 9, clauses 2 and 3; Article IV, section 1 and section 2, clause 1; the 1st through 9th Amendments; the 13th Amendment; the second sentence of section 1 of the 14th Amendment; and the 15th and 19th Amendments. Any Guam or federal law that conflicts with these is repealed to the extent of the conflict.