                              CONSTITUTION
                                 OF THE
                         STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA

                                PREAMBLE

   WE,  the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,  grateful to Almighty 
God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His 
guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

                                ARTICLE I

                          DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

   That  the  general,  great  and essential principles of liberty  and  free 
government may be recognized and unalterably established, WE DECLARE THAT:

   Section  1.   All  men  are born equally free and  independent,  and  have 
certain  inherent and indefeasible rights,  among which are those of enjoying 
and  defending  life and liberty,  of acquiring,  possessing  and  protecting 
property and reputation, and of pursuing their own happiness.

   Section 2.  All power is inherent in the people,  and all free governments 
are  founded  on their authority and instituted for their peace,  safety  and 
happiness.  For  the  advancement  of these ends they have at  all  times  an 
inalienable  and  indefeasible  right  to  alter,  reform  or  abolish  their 
government in such manner as they may think proper.

   Section  3.   All  men  have a natural and indefeasible right  to  worship 
Almighty  God according to the dictates of their own consciences;  no man can 
of right be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to 
maintain  any ministry against his consent;  no human authority can,  in  any 
case  whatever,  control or interfere with the rights of conscience,  and  no 
preference shall ever be given by law to any religious establishment or modes 
of worship.

   Section  4.   No  person who acknowledges the being of a God and a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments  shall,  on  account  of  his  religious 
sentiments,  be  disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or  profit 
under this Commonwealth.

   Section  5.   Elections shall be free and equal;  and no power,  civil  or 
military,  shall  at  any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of  the 
right of suffrage.

   Section  6.   Trial by jury shall be as heretofore,  and the right thereof 
remain inviolate. The General Assembly may provide, however,  by law,  that a 
verdict may be rendered by not less than five/sixths of the jury in any civil 
case.

   Section  7.    The  printing press shall be free to every person  who  may 
undertake  to  examine  the proceedings of the Legislature or any  branch  of 
government, and no law shall ever be made to restrain the right thereof.  The 
free  communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the invaluable  rights 
of man,  and every citizen may freely speak,  write and print on any subject, 
being  responsible for the abuse of that liberty.  No conviction shall be had 
in any prosecution for the publication of papers relating to official conduct 
of  officers  or men in public capacity,  or to any other matter  proper  for 
public investigation or information, where the fact that such publication was 
not  maliciously or negligently made shall be established to the satisfaction 
of the jury;  and in all indictments for libels the jury shall have the right 
to determine the law and the facts,  under the direction of the court,  as in 
other cases.

   Section 8. The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and 
possessions from unreasonable searches and seizures, and no warrant to search 
any  place  or to seize any person or things shall issue  without  describing 
them  as nearly as may be,  nor without probable cause,  supported by oath or 
affirmation subscribed to by the affiant.

   Section  9.   In all criminal prosecutions the accused hath a right to  be 
heard  by  himself  and his counsel,  to demand the nature and cause  of  the 
accusation  against  him,  to  meet  the witnesses  face  to  face,  to  have 
compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and, in prosecutions 
by  indictment or information,  a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of 
the  vicinage;  he cannot be compelled to give evidence against himself,  nor 
can he be deprived of his life, liberty or property,  unless by the judgement 
of his peers or the law of the land.

   Section  10.   Except  as hereinafter provided no person  shall,  for  any 
indictable offense, be proceeded against criminally by information, except in 
cases arising in the land and naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual 
service,  in  time  of  war or public danger,  or by leave of the  court  for 
oppression  or  misdemeanor in office.  Each of the several courts of  common 
pleas may, with the approval of the Supreme Court, provide for the initiation 
of  criminal proceedings therein by information filed in the manner  provided 
by law.  No person shall,  for the same offence,  be twice put in jeopardy of 
life  or limb;  nor shall private property be taken or applied to public use, 
without  authority  of law and without just compensation being first made  or 
secured.

   Section  11.   All courts shall be open;  and every man for an injury done 
him in his lands, goods, person or reputation shall have remedy by due course 
of  law,  and right and justice administered without sale,  denial or  delay. 
Suits may be brought against the Commonwealth in such manner,  in such courts 
and in such cases as the Legislature may by law direct.

   Section 12.   No power of suspending laws shall be exercised unless by the 
Legislature or by its authority.

   Section  13.   Excessive bail shall not be required,  nor excessive  fines 
imposed, nor cruel punishments inflicted.

   Section  14.   All  prisoners  shall be bailable by  sufficient  sureties, 
unless  for capital offenses when the proof is evident or presumption  great; 
and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless 
when in case of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.

   Section 15.  No commission shall issue creating special temporary criminal 
tribunals to try particular individuals or particular classes of cases.

   Section 16. The person of a debtor,  where there is not strong presumption 
of fraud, shall not be continued in prison after delivering up his estate for 
the benefit of his creditors in such manner as shall be prescribed by law.

   Section 17. No ex post facto law,  nor any law impairing the obligation of 
contracts,   or  making  irrevocable  any  grant  of  special  privileges  or 
immunities, shall be passed.

   Section  18.   No  person shall be attainted of treason or felony  by  the 
Legislature.

   Section  19.   No attainder shall work corruption of  blood,  nor,  except 
during the life of the offender, forfeiture of estate to the Commonwealth.

   Section  20.  The citizens have a right in a peaceable manner to  assemble 
together  for  their  common good,  and to apply to those invested  with  the 
powers  of government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes,  by 
petition, address or remonstrance.

   Section  21.   The  right  of  the citizens to bear  arms  in  defense  of 
themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

   Section 22.  No standing army shall, in time of peace,  be kept up without 
the  consent of the Legislature,  and the military shall in all cases and  at 
all times be in strict subordination to the civil power.

   Section  23.  No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in any  house 
without  the consent of the owner,  nor in time of war but in a manner to  be 
prescribed by law.

   Section  24.  The  Legislature  shall not grant any title of  nobility  or 
hereditary distinction,  nor create any office the appointment to which shall 
be for a longer term than during good behavior.

   Section  25.   To guard against transgressions of the high powers which we 
have delegated, we declare that everything in this article is excepted out of 
the general powers of government and shall forever remain inviolate.

   Section  26.   Neither  the  Commonwealth nor  any  political  subdivision 
thereof  shall  deny  to any person the enjoyment of  any  civil  right,  nor 
discriminate against any person in the exercise of any civil right.

   Section 27.  The people have a right to clean air, pure water,  and to the 
preservation  of  the natural,  scenic,  historic and esthetic values of  the 
environment.  Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property 
of  all the people,  including generations yet to come.  As trustee of  these 
resources,  the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit 
of all the people.

   Section  28.   Equality  of  rights under the law shall not be  denied  or 
abridged  in  the  Commonwealth  of Pennsylvania because of the  sex  of  the 
individual.
