“ Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war against the same, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason, unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. ”

“ If a person charged with committing any offense that is punishable by death, life imprisonment or imprisonment for one (1) year or more in the penitentiary or any other state correctional facility is granted bail and (a) if that person is indicted for a felony committed while on bail; or (b) if the court, upon hearing, finds probable cause that the person has committed a felony while on bail, then the court shall revoke bail and shall order that the person be detained, without further bail, pending trial of the charge for which bail was revoked. ”

“ The State of Mississippi shall never assume nor pay any debt or obligation contracted in aid of the rebellion; nor shall this State ever, in any manner, claim from the United States, or make any allowance or compensation for slaves emancipated or liberated in any way whatever, since the ninth day of January, 1861.
Sec. 22. All persons who have not been married, but are now living together, cohabiting as husband and wife, shall be taken and held for all purposes in law as married, and their children, whether born before or after the ratification of this Constitution, shall be legitimate ”

“ The people of this state have the inherent, sole, and exclusive right to regulate the internal government and police thereof, and to alter and abolish their constitution and form of government whenever they deem it necessary to their safety and happiness ”

“ In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have a right to be heard by himself or counsel, or both, to demand the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted by the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and, in all prosecutions by indictment or information, a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the county where the offense was committed ”

“ Cruel or unusual punishment shall not be inflicted, nor shall excessive fines be imposed; excessive bail shall not be required, and all persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses, when the proof is evident, or presumption great. ”

“ The Legislature shall not have power to pass any bill of divorce; but may prescribe, by law, the manner in which cases shall be investigated in the Courts of justice, and divorces granted.
Sec. 23. Bills may originate in either House, and be amended or rejected in the other; and every bill shall be read on three different days in each House, unless two-thirds of the House where the same is pending shall dispense with the rules; and every bill, having passed both Houses, shall be signed by the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in open session. ”

“ In the case of offenses punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of twenty (20) years or more or by life imprisonment, a county or circuit court judge may deny bail for such offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great upon making a determination that the release of the person or persons arrested for such offense would constitute a special danger to any other person or to the community or that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required. ”

“ No person shall be debarred from prosecuting or defending any civil cause for or against him or herself, before any tribunal in this State, by him or herself, or counsel, or both.
Sec. 31. No person shall, for any indictable offense, be proceeded against criminally by information, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or the militia, when in actual service, or by leave of the Court, for misdemeanor in office ”

“ In all criminal and penal cases, except in those of treason and impeachment, he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons, and remit fines, and in cases of forfeiture, to stay the collection until the end of the next session of the Legislature, and to remit forfeitures, by and with the consent of the Senate. In cases of treason, he shall have power to grant reprieves, by and with the consent of the Senate, but may respite the sentence until the end of the next session of the Legislature. ”

“ All able-bodied male citizens of the State, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, shall be liable to military duty in the militia of this State, in such manner as the Legislature may provide, not incompatible with this Constitution, and the Constitution and laws of the United States. ”

“ As the stability of a republican form of government depends mainly upon the intelligence and virtue of the people, it shall be the duty of the Legislature to encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement, by establishing a uniform system of free public schools, by taxation or otherwise, for all children between the ages of five and twenty-one years, and shall, as soon as practicable, establish schools of higher grade. ”

“ All male inhabitants of this State, except idiots and insane persons, and Indians not taxed, citizens of the United States, or naturalized, twenty-one years old and upwards, who have resided in this State six months, and in the county one month next preceding the day of election at which said inhabitant offers to vote, and who are duly registered, according to the requirements of Section 3 of this Article, and who are not disqualified by reason of any crime, are declared to be qualified electors. ”

“ Whenever two-thirds of each branch of the Legislature shall deem any change, alteration, or amendment necessary to this Constitution, such proposed change, alteration, or amendment shall be read and passed by a two-thirds vote of each House, respectively, on each day for three several days; public notice shall then be given by the Secretary of State, at least three months preceding the next general election, at which the qualified electors shall vote directly for or against such change, alteration, or amendment ”

“ Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use, except on due compensation being first made to the owner or owners thereof, in a manner to be prescribed by law; and whenever an attempt is made to take private property for a use alleged to be public, the question whether the contemplated use be public shall be a judicial question, and, as such, determined without regard to legislative assertion that the use is public. ”

“ The right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in question, but the legislature may regulate or forbid carrying concealed weapons. ”

“ The qualified electors of each county shall elect five persons, by districts, for the term of two years, who shall constitute a Board of Supervisors for each county, a majority of whom may transact business, which body shall have full jurisdiction over roads, ferries, and bridges, and shall order all county elections, to fill vacancies that may arise in the offices of their respective counties, and perform such other duties as shall be provided by law. ”

“ The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, and possessions, from unreasonable seizure or search, and no warrant shall be issued without probable cause, supported by oath, or affirmation, specially designating the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized. ”

“ All general elections shall be by ballot, and shall commence and be holden every two years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, until altered by law; and the electors in all cases, except in cases of treason, felony, and breach of the peace, shall be privileged from arrest during their attendance of elections, and in going to and returning therefrom. ”

“ The Governor shall be Commander-in-Chief of the militia, except when it is called into the service of the United States, and shall have power to call forth the militia to execute the laws, repel invasion, and to suppress riots and insurrections. ”

“ The doors of each House, when in session, or in Committee of the Whole, shall be kept open, except in cases which may require secrecy; and each House may punish, by fine and imprisonment, any person, not a member, who shall be guilty of disrespect to the House, by any disorderly or contemptuous behavior in their presence, or in any way disturb their deliberations during the session ”

“ The Legislature shall not authorize any county, city, or town, to become a stockholder in, or to lend its credit to any company, association, or corporation, unless two-thirds of the qualified voters of such county, city, or town, at a special election, or regular election, to be held therein, shall assent thereto. ”

“ A Circuit Court shall be held at least twice in each year, and the Judges of said Courts may interchange circuits with each other, in such manner as may be prescribed by law, and shall receive for their services a compensation to be fixed by law, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office. ”

“ The judicial power of the State shall be vested in a Supreme Court, and such other Courts of law and equity as are hereafter provided for in this Constitution.
Sec. 2. The Supreme Court shall consist of three Judges, who shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, any two of whom, when convened, shall form a quorum. ”

“ The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, but the legislature may, by enactment, provide that in all civil suits tried in the circuit and chancery court, nine or more jurors may agree on the verdict and return it as the verdict of the jury.
SOURCES: 1817 art I §28; 1832 art I §28; 1869 art I §12; Laws 1916, ch. 158. SECTION 32. Construction of enumerated rights.
The enumeration of rights in this constitution shall not be construed to deny and impair others retained by, and inherent in, the people. ”

“ All courts shall be open; and every person for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person, or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law, and right and justice shall be administered without sale, denial, or delay. ”

“ There shall be a Commissioner of Immigration and Agriculture, who shall be elected by the Legislature on joint ballot, who shall hold his office for the term of four years, unless sooner removed by law. ”

“ It shall be the duty of the Legislature to regulate, by law, the cases in which deductions shall be made from salaries of public officers, for neglect of duty in their official capacity, and the amount of said deduction. ”

“ No person or collection of persons, being one or belonging to one of these departments, shall exercise any power properly belonging to either of the others. The acceptance of an office in either of said departments shall, of itself, and at once, vacate any and all offices held by the person so accepting in either of the other departments. ”

“ The number of Senators shall, upon each enumeration made, be apportioned according to the number of qualified electors in the several districts, and shall never be less than one-fourth, nor more than one-third the whole number of Representatives. ”