Federal Judge rejects Obama Administration "state secrets" claim against civil liberties lawsuit.

[Better Believe It]

Wiretap of Islamic Group Ruled Illegal
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
March 31, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal judge ruled Wednesday that government investigators illegally wiretapped the phone conversations of an Islamic charity and two American lawyers without a search warrant.

Jon Eisenberg, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the complicated 45-page ruling holds the Bush administration program was unconstitutional.

The ruling came after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the lawsuit threatened to expose ongoing intelligence work and must be thrown out.

In making the argument, the Obama administration agreed with the Bush administration's position on the case but insisted it came to the decision differently.

Holder's effort to stop the lawsuit marks the first time the administration has tried to invoke the state secrets privilege. Under the strategy, the government can have a lawsuit dismissed if hearing the case would jeopardize national security.

The government argued that its ''state secret privilege'' trumped the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, which requires investigators to seek wiretap approval from a special court that convenes behind closed doors.

Read the full article at:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/31/us/AP-US-Warrantless-Wiretaps.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[ixion]

1. w00t!! great news!

score one for the US Republic. :woohoo:

[Pavulon]

2. Good bye fisa on appeal to supremes..(nt)

[hayu_lol]

3. There is hope yet for the Republic...

maybe.

[Pavulon]

5. No that is bad. Without FISA there will be no or much less oversight.

FISA may need to be sped up or modified to meet the requirements that are presented my mixed traffic in carrier networks.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Better Believe It.

[BunkerHill24]

6. I am beginning to dislike Mr. Holder.....

He looks timid, displaced, double-faced, playing games with the constitution in order to protect his job from criticism from hate merchants.

[Better Believe It]

7. He's acting on orders from his boss.

[mmonk]

8. Good for the court.

That's one bait and switch the court won't allow the Obama administration to conduct with its voters.