Previously published as: Taking sides. Clashing views on controversial legal issues.

Includes bibliographical references.

Law and terrorism. Should U.S. citizens who are declared to be "enemy combatants" be able to contest their detention before a judge? ; Does the president possess constitutional authority to order wiretaps on U.S. citizens? -- Law and the individual. Are violent video games protected by the First Amendment? ; Is it constitutional to ban "partial-birth" abortions without providing for an exception to protect the health of the mother? ; Are restrictions on physician-assisted suicide constitutional? ; Does the sharing of music files through the internet violate copyright laws? ; Is the Eighth Amendment protection violated if prisoners are deprived of basic sustenance, including adequate medical care? -- Law and the State. Should judges be elected rather than appointed? ; Do religious groups have a right to use public school facilities after hours? ; Does the First Amendment protect picketing a funeral even when it intentionally inflicts emotional distress on the family? ; Can a school punish a student for speech at a school-supervised event off of school grounds when that speech could be viewed as promoting illegal drug use? ; Is a strip search of middle school students that is aimed at finding drugs prohibited under the Fourth Amendment? ; Does the "cruel and unusual punishment" clause of the Eighth Amendment bar the imposition of the death penalty on juveniles? ; Is a sentence of life in prison for stealing $150 worth of videotapes constitutional? ; Can noise coming from inside an apartment and which the police believe involves the destruction of drugs constitute "exigent circumstances" that allow police officers to enter and search a home without a warrant? ; Is the Fourth Amendment search and seizure guaranty violated by the use of high-technology thermal imaging devises? -- Law and the community. Is there a constitutional right to possess a firearm for private use? ; Are blanket prohibitions on cross burnings unconstitutional? ; Should same-sex couples receive constitutional protection? ; Do race-conscious programs in public university admissions policies violate the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law?