CONSTITUTION DAY
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006

The Florida Supreme Court Courtroom was filled to capacity by students from schools throughout Florida for Constitution Day on Friday, September 15. Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis welcomed the audience of middle and high school students to the Court’s 2nd Annual Constitution Day, an interactive educational program that focused attention on our fundamental rights.

Students were given OptionFinders (hand-held electronic voting devices) that could record and quickly display for the entire courtroom their responses to multiple choice responses about constitutional rights. One of the key questions was whether students would be willing to give up some of their rights in order to be more safe. Students were also given a short list of 10 rights contained in the Bill of Rights and asked to choose five rights they would keep if forced to give up some of their rights.

The students then divided into seven breakout sessions, led by the justices and 1st DCA Judge Edwin B. Browning and 4th DCA Judge Fred A. Hazouri, to explore constitutional rights and protections. As the justices explained the basic scope of several fundamental provisions in the Bill of Rights, students were drawn into lively exchanges designed to spur critical thinking about the constitutional foundation of our society and government.

The students then returned to the courtroom and were polled a second time. Had they changed their minds? What rights would they keep? Results showed the popular favorites ranked as followed in both opinion polls: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, protection from cruel and unusual punishment and the right to trial by jury. The right to peaceably assemble replaced freedom of the press as the only difference between the first and second polling.

When asked the question, "I am willing to give up some of my rights protected by the U.S. Constitution if the government says it will make my life safer" most of them (84%) said they would not. This was a increase from the first vote when 81% answered "no".

One of the many highlights that occurred during the event was when the Chief Justice asked the students if they had learned anything during their small group discussions with the judges and justices. One student from Pensacola remarked, "I learned that we need some of the rights to have the other rights. Without one right, we couldn't have the other right."

Another student remarked, "I learned many things...it showed me what America is really like...how many different ideas can come together to form one great nation...It showed me that all these rights are important and when it comes to choosing, it is almost impossible!"

In concluding the program, Chief Justice Lewis posed the question to the audience that if the founders were with us today, what would they say to us? The Chief surmised that they might ask us if we take our liberty, our freedom and our rights for granted. And can we be trusted to care for, to nurture and to grow this Republic that we have been given.

Read the Court News Story about the event.

WFSU and the The Florida Channel captured the event.
Watch the archived video.

Constitution Day was designated by federal law in 2004 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Contstitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, and activities and events focus on the federal document.

However, Florida has a state Constitution as well.
Did You Know?:

• Florida has had 5 constitutions: 1838, 1861, 1865, 1868 and 1885
• When Florida became a state in 1945, the Constitution previously adopted by the Territory of Florida in 1838 became the state's first Constitution.
• This Constitution created a Supreme Court but gave it no justices of its own. The powers of the Court were vested in the judges of the several circuit courts.
• In 1848 the Constitution was amended, and in 1851 authorizing acts were passed providing that the Supreme Court should have its own justices - a chief justice and two associate justices. These justices were elected by the Legislature.
• In 1853 an amendment provided for the election by the people of the justices for six-year terms.
• The 1861 Constitution provided for the appointment of the justices by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve for six-year terms.
• In 1868 a new constitution called for the chief justice and two associate justices to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to a term "for life or during good behavior".
• The 1885 Constitution provided for the election by the people of three Supreme Court justices to serve six-year terms. In 1902, an amendment increased the Court’s membership to six justices and permitted the Legislature for the year 1905, and for subsequent years, to provide for from three to six justices to serve terms of up to six years. In 1911 the Legislature reduced the number of justices to five. In 1923 the number was again raised to six and continued to be six until a 1940 constitutional amendment which called for seven justices, the present number.
• The 1885 Constitution provided that the chief justice of the Supreme Court be designated by lot by the three justices, and he was to serve as chief justice during his term of office. A constitutional amendment in 1926 provided that the chief justice be selected by the justices of the Court and serve for a term of two years; this is the current method of selection