Former FISA Chief Judge Bates Slams Key Proposed NSA Reforms As Unnecessary, Counterproductive

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

By STEPHEN BRAUN and KIMBERLY DOZIER | ASSOCIATED PRESS | 1 hour, 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. judiciary told Congress Tuesday it opposes the idea of having an independent privacy advocate on the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, while members of Congress lauded the idea at a Capitol Hill hearing.

Speaking for the entire U.S. judiciary, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates sent a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee saying that appointing an independent advocate to the secret surveillance court is unnecessary and possibly counterproductive, and he slammed other key reforms as adding too heavy a caseload to the secret court's work. In current FISC hearings, judges only hear from the government seeking a spy warrant.

Members of the presidential task force that recommended such an advocate defended the proposal before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as did Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., during a hearing on the NSA's surveillance programs Tuesday.

Cass Sunstein, a member of the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, said the secret court should not be making decisions on law or policy without an opposition voice.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/4def9c059165492980a06b68caa75bba/former-fisa-chief-judge-bates-slams-key-proposed-nsa-reforms-as-unnecessary-counterproductive.html

[grasswire]

1. who owns Judge Bates?

Pretty clear.

[Purveyor]

2. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in December 2001

John Deacon Bates (born October 11, 1946), is a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in December 2001, and has adjudicated in several cases directly affecting the office of the President. On June 11, 2013, Chief Justice John Roberts named Bates to serve as Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, effective July 1, 2013

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Bates

[Pholus]

7. So his acceptance letter probably had to acknowledge that it was a "post 9/11" world...

and that the gloves had come off.

Unsurprising.

[another_liberal]

3. No suprises here.

His thoroughly compliant attitude was no doubt why he got put on the FISC court in the first place. Of course he thinks everything is just fine and dandy!

[Vincardog]

4. I do not believe that our legal system is at all served by a secret court hearing only the Gov side

[rhett o rick]

5. This whole think is a joke. Even if they allowed an "independent privacy advocate", who would

appoint them? The President? Congress? The SCOTUS?

The NSA isnt going to give up their power and no one can make them.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Nice Star Chamber you had there, judge

It's so much more streamlined when everyone agrees to only see one side, isn't it?

[another_liberal]

10. That is how the court appears to have functioned.

It's chilling to hear Bates justify himself.

[Thinkingabout]

8. Sometimes when one has knowledge of the work they can make a better decision.

[another_liberal]

11. Better for whom?

You didn't say.

[Thinkingabout]

12. For those who follows those who are wise may become wiser, for those who follow the lost

tend to remain lost.

[Aerows]

15. You can say that again

I hope you say it in front of the mirror if you trust Cass Sunstein.

[another_liberal]

17. Better for whom?

I repeat myself, because you did not answer my question.

[Thinkingabout]

18. I gave the answer I chose, yiu gave the answer you chose, are you wanting to infringe

On my Constitutional rights? If so it will not work.

[another_liberal]

19. That's what I thought you were saying.

Now I understand your meaning perfectly.

[Aerows]

14. Cass Sunstein is a snake

I know you LOVE all of this internet surveillance, which is why you like him, but I wouldn't trust him to shovel pig crap, much less protect the internet.

[blackspade]

9. And I should believe Bates why?

Oh right, because he was a secret judge on a secret court which issues secret rulings that have secret impacts on citizens.
So I guess it's all okay then.....

[Aerows]

13. I trust Cass Sunstein, the leader of the restrictive internet laws

about as far as I could throw the moon, and it won't be happening any time soon. He's the least trustworthy individual involved in this. He was the ringleader of NSA programs, StratFor, and bills to end open internet. He's a slime ball. Why Obama appointed him in his cabinet I'll never know, because he does not by any means engender trust.

[Demeter]

16. "because the money was too good"

American Dreamer, 1984 (what a coincidence!)

[TroglodyteScholar]

20. How can the FISA courts serve in their role as rubber stamp if an advocate is in place?

This will never do.