the Court has indicated that the government can place reasonable time and manner limitations based on 
the location in which the gathering is to take place.  See, e.g., Cox v. Louisiana, 379 U.S. 536 (1965). 
Second Amendment Limitations 
Legislatures can place restrictions on weapons and ammunition purchase and possession, but they cannot 
completely restrict people’s ability to possess guns for the purpose of self-defense. See, District of Columbia 
v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) (an individual’s right to possess a weapon is unconnected with service in the 
military). According to the Court, the Second Amendments’ protections apply equally to the states. See, 
McDonald v. Chicago,  561 U.S. 742 (2010). 
Fourth Amendment Limitations 
The Fourth Amendment limits the government’s ability to engage in searches and seizures. Under 
the least restrictive interpretation, the Amendment requires that, at a minimum, searches and seizures be 
reasonable. Under the most restrictive interpretation, the Amendment requires that government officers 
need a warrant any time they do a search or a seizure. The Court has interpreted the Fourth Amendment in 
many cases and, the doctrine of stare decisis notwithstanding, search and seizure law is subject to the Court’s 
constant refinement and revision. One thing is clear, the Court has never embraced the most restrictive 
interpretation of the Fourth requiring a warrant for every search and seizure conducted. 
Fifth Amendment Limitations 
The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination (having to disclose information that could 
ultimately harm you) in that it states that no person “shall be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness 
against himself.” Defendants have the right to not testify at trial and the right to remain silent during a 
custodial interrogation. See, Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). The Fifth Amendment also provides 
for a grand jury in federal criminal prosecutions, prohibits double jeopardy, demands due process of law, 
and prohibits taking private property for public use (a civil action). The Court has incorporated the double 
jeopardy provision through the Fourteenth Amendment, making states also prohibited from subjecting a 
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