74TH C ONGRESS . SESS. II. CH. 699. JUNE 22, 1936 .
1815 j courts, the disposition of fines, costs, forfeitures, enforcements of udgments, providing for appeals therefrom to the district court, and the disposition and treatment of prisoners shall be as established by law or ordinance in force on the date of enactment of this Act or as may hereafter be establ ished by l aw or ordi nance by the municipal cou ncil having juris diction. SEC . 3 3 . Appea ls in civil and c riminal cases fro m the judgments and rulings of the inferior courts shall be to the district court and shall be taken in accordance with the laws and ordinances of the respective municipalities : Provided, That the right of appeal in all cases, civi l and crimi nal, shall be as esta blish ed by law o r ord inanc e in force on the d ate of enactment of this Act, or a s may hereafter be established by law or ordinance by the municipal council having jurisdiction . MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS SEC . 34 . No law shall be enacted in the Virgin Islands which shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or deny to any person therein equal protection of the laws . In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy the right to be represented by counsel for his defense, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to have a copy thereof, to have a spee dy an d pub lic tr ial, to be confr onted with the witnes ses a gains t him, and to have compulsory proces s for obtaining w itnesses in his favor. No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law, and no person for the same offense shall be twice put in jeopardy o f punishment, nor shall be compell ed in any crim- inal cause to giv e evidence agains t himself ; nor shall any person sit as judge or magistrate in any case in which he has been engaged as attorney or prosecutor . All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties in the case of criminal offenses, except for first-degree murder or any capital offense when the proof is evidentt or the presumption great . No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be enacted . No person shall be imprisoned or shall suffer forced labor for debt . All persons shall have the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus and the same shall not be suspended except as herein expressly provided . No ex-post-facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted . Private property shall not be taken for public use except upon payment of ju st compensation ascertained in the manner provided by law. Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to limit the power of the municipal councils herein provided to enact laws for the protection of life, the public health, or the public safety . Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment infli cted . The right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated . No warrant for arrest or search shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized . Slavery shall not exist in the Virgin Islands . Involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall not exist in the Virgin Islands . No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Gove rnment for the re dress of grievanc es . App eals from inferior court s. Pr oviso . Right of appeal . Miseellaneous pro- visions . "Bill of rights," pro- visions .
