[Sherman Logan]

The Constitution provides for ‘abridging’ those rights with due cause and due process. Thus certain rights can be abridged upon probable cause.

Beg to differ.

Rights are absolute and cannot be abridged.

However, not every claim that "rights" apply is valid. People often try to claim that a certain practice is protected by a right when it is not.

Thus, to use the cliche, the right to freedom of speech does not protect (falsely) crying "Fire" in a theater. It is speech, but not protected speech.

[spintreebob]

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. If a person commits murder, he still possesses his God given rights. But the government has the power granted by the constitution to abridge the rights of the murderer and take away his liberty and pursuit of happiness, and maybe even his life.