Judge: NSA phone program likely unconstitutional
Source: Politico
A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from or within the United States is likely to be unconstitutional.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon found that the program appears to run afoul of the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures. He also said the Justice Department had failed to demonstrate that collecting the so-called metadata had helped to head off terrorist attacks.
Acting on a lawsuit brought by conservative legal activist Larry Klayman, Leon issued a preliminary injunction barring the NSA from collecting metadata pertaining to the Verizon accounts of Klayman and one of his clients. However, the judge stayed the order to allow for an appeal.
Plaintiffs have a very significant expectation of privacy in an aggregated collection of their telephone metadata covering the last five years, and the NSAs Bulk Telephony Metadata Program significantly intrudes on that expectation, wrote Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush. I have significant doubts about the efficacy of the metadata collection program as a means of conducting time-sensitive investigations in cases involving imminent threats of terrorism.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/national-security-agency-phones-judge-101203.html
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)don't expect the Supremes (at least 5 of them) to have done anything more than wiped their behinds with copies of our cherished Constitution.
They will side with the fascists in power and the monied corporate interests to continue these invasive practices.
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)The Rule of Four means four Justices must be willing to hear a case.
Supreme Court Lets Stand Telecom Immunity In Wiretap Case
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=260709
Source: Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court is leaving in place a federal law that gives telecommunications companies legal immunity for helping the government with its email and telephone eavesdropping program.
The justices said Tuesday they will not review a court ruling that upheld the 2008 law against challenges brought by privacy and civil liberties advocates on behalf of the companies' customers. The companies include AT&T, Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc.
Lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation accused the companies of violating the law and customers' privacy through collaboration with the National Security Agency on intelligence gathering.
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_WARRANTLESS_WIRETAPPING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-09-09-58-20
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)I thought the metadata collection was approved via warrant signed by a FISA judge?
Maybe I'm wrong.
okaawhatever
(9,462 posts)With internet communication a warrant is needed when trying to get identifying information. Ditto listening to the actual phone calls, as opposed to just collecting the phone numbers, time called and length of call (metadata).
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)but on this point, I am 100% with him. I'll go take a shower now.
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts).
.
.
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[font size=1]Oops.
My Bad.
That was 2006 Joe Biden.
Its OK when Democrats do it.
Please ignore my post.
[/font]
Indi Guy
(3,992 posts)Kick
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)Yup.
K&R
politichew
(230 posts)He should be in a dark cell somewhere.
anti partisan
(429 posts)And when I say broken, I mean really broken
http://www.wnd.com/2011/12/time-to-nuke-iran/
bolts and screws flying everywhere.
politichew
(230 posts)anti partisan
(429 posts)Useful.
He'd be more silent than Marcel Marceau if it were the GOP in charge.
PSPS
(13,609 posts)They were all marked up showing which oil company would get which field.