Bluebooking The Fourth: Constitutional Provision Abbreviations

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation outlines the correct format for citing constitutional provisions. Rule 11 explains how to cite constitutional provisions, and Table 16.1 lists abbreviations for amendment and article. If you want to cite the fourth amendment, the correct citation would be: U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.

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Federal and State Constitutions

To cite a constitutional provision in the Bluebook format, combine the abbreviated geographic region from Table 10 and the word "CONST." in small caps typeface. Abbreviate subdivisions according to Table 16.

For the United States Constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S." before the word "Const." For example, to cite the Fourth Amendment, the correct format is: U.S. Const. amend. IV, § X.

If you are citing a specific section within an article of the Constitution, include the article number, section number, and clause number, if applicable. For example, U.S. Const. amend. IV, § 2.

For state constitutions, provide the official abbreviation of the state name (refer to Table T10.1) followed by "Const." For example, to cite Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the correct format is: Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.

Note that you should only use a short form for constitutions when using "id." in footnotes. When referring to a constitution in a textual sentence, write out the citation in full or refer to the provision by name. For example, "Article IV, Section 1, the Full Faith and Credit Clause."

Abbreviating Subdivisions

When abbreviating subdivisions of the Fourth Amendment, it is essential to follow the Bluebook rules for citation. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation outlines specific guidelines for citing constitutional provisions. Here is a step-by-step guide for abbreviating subdivisions of the Fourth Amendment:

• Citing the United States Constitution: To cite a specific section of the Fourth Amendment, use the format "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § [section number]". For example, when referring to Section 1 of the Fourth Amendment, the correct citation would be "U.S. Const. amend. IV, § 1". This format combines the abbreviated country ("U.S."), the type of document ("Const."), the specific amendment ("amend. IV"), and the section number ("§ 1").
• State Constitutions: When citing subdivisions of state constitutions, follow a similar format but replace "U.S." with the abbreviated name of the state. For example, when citing Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution, the correct citation would be "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2". Here, "Haw." is the abbreviation for Hawaii, "art." denotes article, "IX" is the Roman numeral for the article number, "§" indicates section, and "cl." represents clause.
• Capitalization: Pay attention to capitalization rules. For the U.S. Constitution, subdivisions and names are capitalized and in regular typeface. For example, "U.S. CONST. art. IV, § 1" refers to Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, also known as the Full Faith and Credit Clause. In contrast, for state constitutions, subdivisions and names are not capitalized.
• Full Textual Sentences: If you are referring to the Fourth Amendment in a textual sentence, write out the citation in full or refer to the provision by name. For example, you would write, "The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right against unreasonable searches and seizures." Alternatively, you can refer to it as "the Fourth Amendment."
• Table 16: According to Bluebook guidelines, you should abbreviate subdivisions according to Table 16. While the specific content of Table 16 may vary depending on the edition of The Bluebook you are using, it provides a comprehensive list of abbreviations for various legal terms and concepts.
• Short Form: The Bluebook rules specify that you should not use a short form for constitutional citations other than "id." where appropriate. This means that when referring to the same source subsequently, you can use "id." to avoid repetitive citations.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your abbreviations for subdivisions of the Fourth Amendment are accurate and conform to the Bluebook citation style.

Current and Amended Provisions

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation provides guidelines for citing constitutional provisions, including current and amended provisions. Rule 11 outlines the citation method for constitutional sections, while Table 16.1 lists abbreviations for "amendment" and "article".

When citing the United States Constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S." before the word "Const." followed by the amendment number, section, and clause (if applicable). For example, the correct citation for the Fourth Amendment would be:

> U.S. Const. amend. IV

If you are citing a specific section and clause within the Fourth Amendment, the citation would include additional information. For instance, when citing Section 2 of the Fourth Amendment, the citation would be:

> U.S. Const. amend. IV, § 2

If you need to cite a specific clause within Section 2, the citation format would be as follows:

> U.S. Const. amend. IV, § 2, cl. [clause number]

When citing state constitutions, use the abbreviated state name followed by "Const." For example, when citing the Hawaii Constitution, Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2, the correct citation is:

> Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2

Note that when citing constitutional provisions, no date is needed if the provision is still in force. However, for repealed or amended provisions, indicate the year and action or cite the repealing/amending provision. For example:

> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)

> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. Const. amend. XXI

These examples demonstrate how to apply The Bluebook's rules for abbreviating and citing constitutional provisions, specifically focusing on current and amended provisions related to the Fourth Amendment.

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Short Form

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation provides guidelines for citing legal documents, including constitutional provisions. The 20th edition of The Bluebook outlines the correct format for referencing the United States Constitution's Fourth Amendment.

According to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, there is no specific short form for citing constitutional provisions. The only acceptable abbreviation for a constitution is "id." when appropriate. This means that when referencing a constitutional provision in a footnote, you should not use a shortened form other than "id."

However, The Bluebook does provide instructions for abbreviating certain terms within the citation. Table 10 lists abbreviated geographic regions, and Table 16 provides guidelines for abbreviating subdivisions. For example, when citing the US Constitution, use "U.S." as the abbreviated geographic region, followed by "CONST." in small caps typeface. The fourth amendment can be abbreviated as "amend. IV" according to Table 16.1.

U.S. CONST. amend. IV

Additionally, The Bluebook specifies that when referring to a constitutional provision in a textual sentence, you have two options: write out the citation in full or refer to the provision by its commonly known name. For example, you could write "The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees..." or "The U.S. Constitution's Amendment IV guarantees..."

Citing Articles

When citing articles in the Bluebook, there are specific rules to follow. Firstly, Rule 11 outlines the citation method for constitutional sections. The United States federal constitution should be cited as "U.S Const." followed by the article, section, and clause numbers. For example, to cite the fourth amendment, it would be written as "U.S. Const. amend. IV".

State constitutions follow a similar format, with the state abbreviation followed by "Const." For example, "Tex. Const. art. 1, § 3" refers to Article 1, Section 3 of the Texas Constitution. The abbreviations for states can be found in Table 10.1 of the Bluebook. It is important to note that state constitutions are not capitalized, unlike the U.S. Constitution.

Additionally, when citing an article of the Constitution, you would include the article, section, and clause numbers, followed by the relevant text. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2" refers to Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which is also known as the Habeas Corpus Clause.

If you are citing a current constitutional provision that is still in force, there is no need to include a date. However, for repealed or amended provisions, you should indicate the year and action or cite the relevant repealing/amending provision. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)" refers to the Eighteenth Amendment, which was repealed in 1933.

It is worth noting that when citing a constitution in a textual sentence, the citation must be written out in full, or the provision should be referred to by name. For example, "Article IV, Section 1, the Full Faith and Credit Clause."

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