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Why does it matter? The Bill of Rights protects the rights of individuals in the criminal justice system \u2014 governing searches and seizures, self-incrimination, effective assistance of counsel, impartial juries, burdens of proof, and cruel and unusual punishments. Several landmark decisions \u2014 including Mapp v. Ohio<\/i><\/a> <\/i>(searches), Gideon v. Wainwright<\/i><\/a> <\/i>(counsel), Brady v. Maryland<\/i><\/a> <\/i>(discovery) and Miranda v. Arizona<\/i><\/a> <\/i>(confessions) \u2014 addressing these fundamental rights were decided 50 years ago. In the half-century since, the rights established in these decisions keep being narrowed, qualified and, in some cases, practically eliminated. A person now must affirmatively state that he or she wants to invoke the right not to speak; the rule that excludes improperly obtained evidence has been trimmed to near extinction; the right to get an attorney exists in fewer proceedings; and prosecutors often use Brady\u2019s <\/i>requirement to provide exculpatory material as a road map for what not<\/i> to disclose. What looks \u201cexculpatory\u201d to a prosecutor (who believes the evidence of guilt is overwhelming anyway) can be markedly different to a defense attorney (whose job is to assemble a defense).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n