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.
Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. Stafford is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion in Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 15,681. The city has the only municipal school district in all of Texas. Stafford is served by the Houston Community College System and has a campus within the city. Stafford does not have a municipal property tax as of 1995 and the sales tax is 0.5% less than all of the surrounding cities. Even though it is known as a bedroom community of the greater Houston area, it is estimated that four times as many people work in Stafford on a week day, which is evidence of the large amount of commercial activity that helps the city financially. Many corporations both large and small including United Parcel Service, Texas Instruments, and Tyco all maintain significant operations in Stafford. As of 2008 the Mayor of Stafford is Leonard Scarcella, who was first elected in 1969 and has been a lifelong resident of the city.