that are recognized as absolute when

it comes to modern society, and, yes, these rights unfortunately

include tweeting that you had a Caesar salad for lunch--

freedom of speech, after all.

But another fundamental right is the right to due process.

You may be familiar with the term,

since it's an integral part of American judicial philosophy,

not to mention the Bill of Rights.

In fact, it's the only command in the Constitution

stated twice, but what does it mean, exactly?

Essentially, due process is the legal requirement

that a government must respect all of a person's legal rights

before taking from them, and I quote, "life, liberty,

or property."

Specific elements of due process include the right

to a notice of the charges against you,

the opportunity to be heard, and the opportunity

to defend yourself.

When a system of law ignores any one of these steps

before convicting someone, this constitutes

a violation of due process and the rule of law.

This is not a new idea, by the way.

The very concept of due process was originally

documented in the Magna Carta, no, the other one.

Florida law, like most everywhere,

includes within the idea of due process certain protections.

For example, you can't be forced to testify against yourself.

Due process also means no double jeopardy,

which does not mean two doses of a TV trivia game show.

It means being tried for the same offense twice.

It must be remembered that due process only

applies to the government, either state or federal,

and not necessarily to, say, a private school

disciplining a student.

The one thing the idea of due process lacks is specifics.

It doesn't really outline which exact processes are due.

The basic idea is that someone accused of something

should have a chance to face her accusers

and give her side of the story, so most everyone

agrees that, at a minimum, due process

must include notice of the accusation,

a hearing of some type, and a ruling.

The particulars are usually covered

in each jurisdiction's code of law

for different types of cases.

Nonetheless, due process is supposed

to apply to all citizens, without exception.

If you think you're being prevented due process

or just want to find out more about it,

visit LegalYou, because you have a right to know your rights.

LegalYou, you can do this.