Constitutional law attorneys handle cases involving the construction and interpretation of federal and state constitutions, including individual rights and governmental powers. Constitutional law cases can involve issues like First Amendment rights -- such as freedom of speech, press, and religion -- and the checks and balances on authority among different branches of government. Most of the federal constitutional rights are found in the Bill of Rights, that was created originally as a limitation on the action by the federal government, but many of those rights are also applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Franklinton is a town in and the parish seat of Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,657 at the 2000 census. It is an average of 155 feet (47 m) above sea level. Located 61 miles (98 km) north of New Orleans, the town's name is pronounced locally as "Frank-lin-ton" or "Frank-il-ton. " Franklinton is part of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area. A Franklinton physician, Jerry Thomas, represented Washington Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1988-1999 and then served from 1999-2004 in the District 12 seat in the state senate, having succeeded Phil Short of Covington, who resigned. Dr. Thomas was the Washington Parish coroner from 1980-1988.