GOOD NEWS: Judge Seals Documents in NSA Spying Suit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060517/ap_on_re_us/domestic_spying_lawsuit_3

By DAVID KRAVETS, Associated Press Writer 21 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO - Secret documents that allegedly detail the surveillance of AT&T Inc. phone and e-mail lines under the Bush administration's domestic spying program can be used in a lawsuit against the telephone giant, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, but the records will remain sealed.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker rejected a bid by AT&T to return the records given to the privacy advocate Electronic Frontier Foundation by a former AT&T technician. But Walker said the records would remain under seal until it can be determined whether they reveal trade secrets.

"The best course of action is to preserve the status quo," Walker said.

The hearing is the first in a lawsuit challenging the administration's secretive domestic surveillance program.

The suit, filed by EFF in U.S. District Court here, accuses AT&T of illegally cooperating with the National Security Agency to make communications on the company's networks available to the spy agency without warrants.

"They are asking this court to suppress evidence of AT&T's criminal activity," EFF lawyer Maria Morris said in arguing that the records remain part of the case.

"I thought it was unfortunate counsel chose to use the terms 'criminal activities' and 'crimes,'" AT&T lawyer David Anderson said as he argued that the records should be returned to the company.

The goal of the lawsuit is to dismantle warrantless eavesdropping on Americans in the United States, a practice the Bush administration confirmed in December. EFF's case would have been weakened if the records provided by the whistleblower were taken from the case.

The case is Hepting v. AT&T Inc., 06-0672.

It sums out what they are all desperately tryig to do.

They will be allowed to use the documents after all. Lest give it a little time.

Jay

read 'unseals'? I know that's how yahoo has it, but...:shrug:

AT&T wanted the records excluded because having them go public would compromise AT&T secrets.
The Judge ruled to "seal" the documents from the public and still allow them to be used AGAINST AT&T.
That preserves AT&T's secrets and still allows EFF to sue.

This is a very good thing.

Just not in public court. OK, I can live with that.

Just as long as it's not ruled inadmissable.

What the hell is this BS? They sold our information to the government, but htey're afraid of THEIR privacy being compromised?

Thank you for posting this!!!

:toast: :toast: :toast: