The Constitution is not a suicide pact The Constitution is not a suicide pact "The Constitution is not a suicide pact" is a phrase in American political and legal discourse. The phrase expresses the belief that constitutional restrictions on governmental power must be balanced against the need for survival of the state and its people. It is most often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, as a response to charges that he was violating the United States Constitution by suspending "habeas corpus" during the American Civil War. Although the phrase echoes statements made by Lincoln, and although versions of the sentiment have been advanced at various times in American
Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority is a 2013 Supreme Court of Oklahoma case that held for the first time that the Oklahoma state constitution provided a civil remedy for violations of state constitutional rights. The recognition of civil remedies directly under the state constitution was viewed as a watershed moment in the development of civil rights in Oklahoma. Since the decision issued, claims asserting violations of state constitutional rights in Oklahoma are now colloquially referred to as "Bosh claims." The Bosh decision resulted from an incident at a local jail. Video