Secret Snooping By Fibbies Upheld

[publius]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2436729,00.html

Wednesday February 26, 2003 10:40 PM


PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The FBI does not have to explain why it applied for search warrants to bug homes and tap phones of defendants in a terrorism case, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in an early test of the government's new and expanded spying powers.

The five defendants were charged in October with conspiring to support al-Qaida and the Taliban.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones denied a defense request asking the government to reveal its justification for the secret warrants, issued under the USA Patriot Act, the anti-terror legislation passed by Congress after Sept. 11.

The warrants allowed agents to bug the home of at least one defendant and tap the phone of another.

The ultra-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or ``spy court,'' in Washington issued the warrants last year.

The agents used 36 secret warrants in the case to intercept more than 271 conversations.

Hang on. Lemme just fix this here. OK. Good to go.

4. The right of the people whom the government does not currently suspect of terrorism to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation or secret evidence, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

6. In all criminal prosecutions except those where the government alleges a connection to terrorism, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. In those criminal prosecutions where terrorism is alleged, the accused shall be tried in secret by a panel of people whose boss is pressing the charges, and the trial shall be held whenever the government damn well feels like it. The accused need not be informed of the nature nor cause of the accusation, nor confronted with the witnesses against him.

 

[Patch]

The sad thing about it Publius is that its not so unrealistic to see how the PA will alter the constitutional amendments more and more as time goes by.....we live in a society of abundant double standards that condones screwing the other guy simply because he is the other guy and not us and herein will become the pathway for the changes to occur in our constitution.

 

[Blackhawk]

And just what did you expect...?

 

[publius]

I don't know. Sometimes I think ole Sam's talking to us.

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude
greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -- Samuel Adams

The Patriot Act was passed overwhelmingly. If we have a representative government, that must mean we have at least a few PA supporters here on THR. I'd like to hear from you on this issue.