CONSTITUTION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY. PREAMBLE. We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution. BILL OF RIGHTS. That the great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, WE DECLARE that: SECTION 1. All men are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned: First: The right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties. Second: The right of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences. Third: The right of seeking and pursuing their safety and happiness. Fourth: The right of freely communicating their thoughts and opinions. Fifth The right of acquiring and protecting property. Sixth The right of assembling together in a peaceable manner for their common good, and of applying to those invested with the power of government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by petition, address or remonstrance. Seventh: The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the State, subject to the power of the General Assembly to enact laws to prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons. SEC. 2. Absolute and arbitrary power over the lives, liberty and property of freemen exists nowhere in a republic, not even in the largest majority. SEC. 3. All men, when they form a social compact, are equal; and no grant of exclusive, separate public emoluments or privileges shall be made to any man or set of men, except in consideration of public services; but no property shall be exempt from taxation except as provided in this Constitution; and every grant of a franchise, privilege or exemption, shall remain subject to revocation, alteration or amendment. SEC. 4. All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety, happiness and the protection of property. For the advancement of these ends, they have at all times an inalienable and of ecclesiastical polity; nor shall any person pelled to attend any place of worship, to to the erection or maintenance of any such to the salary or support of any minister of nor shall any man be compelled to send his any school to which he may be conscienti posed; and the civil rights, privileges or cap no person shall be taken away, or in anywi ished or enlarged, on account of his beli belief of any religious tenet, dogma or teach human authority shall, in any case whateve or interfere with the rights of conscience. SEC. 6. All elections shall be free and equa SEC. 7. The ancient mode of trial by jury held sacred, and the right thereof remain subject to such modifications as may be auth this Constitution. SEC. 8. Printing presses shall be free to son who undertakes to examine the proce the General Assembly or any branch of go and no law shall ever be made to restrain thereof. Every person may freely and ful write and print on any subject, being respo the abuse of that liberty. SEC. 9. In prosecutions for the publi papers investigating the official conduct of officers or men in a public capacity, or where the matter published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence; and in all indictments for libel the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases. SEC. 10. The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions, from unreasonable search and seizure; and no warrant shall issue to search any place, or seize any person or thing, without describing them as nearly as may be, nor without probable cause supported by oath or affirmation. SEC. 11. In all criminal prosecutions the accused has the right to be heard by himself and counsel to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor. He can not be compelled to give evidence against himself, nor can he be deprived of his life, liberty or property, unless by the judgment of his peers or the law of the land; and in prosecutions by indictment or information, he shall have a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the vicinage; but the General Assembly may provide by a general law for a change of venue in such prosecutions for both the defendant and the Commonwealth, the change to be made to the most convenient county in which a fair trial can be obtained. SEC. 12. No person, for an indictable offense, shall ; |
