US judge refuses to stop states from probing domestic spying

[Kadie]

US judge refuses to stop states from probing domestic spying
Wed Jul 25, 2:39 AM ET



SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - A US judge Tuesday refused pleas by federal lawyers to stop officials in five states from investigating what roles telecommunications firms played in anti-terror domestic spying.

San Francisco District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker rejected arguments that federal authority trumps state powers in the matter and that the probes amounted to unconstitutional meddling in foreign affairs policy.

The motions for "summary judgment' by federal lawyers were based on rules that prohibit interference with federal foreign affairs powers or discriminating against the federal government, or conflicting with a congressional mandate.

The states of Missouri, Maine, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont want telecommunications companies to hand over information about customer telephone records shared with the National Security Agency.

"The court concludes that federal law does not expressly preempt the states' laws at issue here," Walker said in a written ruling.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070725/bs_afp/usattacksintelligencejusticetelecom_070725063939;_ylt=AtzkLedggN5GIb_exnsCRd8FO7gF

[blondeatlast]

1. This could get very interesting and needs more attention. k&r

[soothsayer]

2. good! i love judges with backbone

[MasonJar]

3. Hallelujah! I have tried my best to get rid of AT&T. First they bought

Cingular so I paid 100's of dollars to get rid of my cell phone early. Now they have bought Bell South. I am so pissed. These companies need to collapse. We pay money to keep them going and they allow the government (run by a sociopath) to spy on us. We are paying to be outed. If W wants to know what I think of him, he just needs to call up and I'll be happy to tell him...no need for subterfuge.