Supreme Court to Consider Search Warrants

[Rose Siding]

HELENA, Mont. -- Joseph and Julia Ramirez used their Moose Creek Ranch south of Butte as a safe haven for abused women and children.

But in the spring of 1997, federal and state agents acting on a tip and armed with a search warrant raided their commune, saying they were looking for an arsenal of illegal automatic weapons. They found none.

The search has turned in to a legal dispute over flawed search warrants that has gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case Tuesday.

snip>

Vincent Kozakiewicz, attorney for the Ramirezes, wrote in one court brief that the commune's role as an abuse shelter often resulted in "outrageous reports to law enforcement from estranged husbands." The tip Groh used to get the warrant may have been retaliation, he said.

The March, 1997 search was at least the second time in a year that agents had visited the commune. Both times, they left after finding nothing. For the Ramirezes, the issue is one of protecting privacy and adhering to the letter of the Constitution that spells out what search warrants must contain, their attorney said

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-scotus-bad-warrant,0,670769.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. so

they obtained a search warrant on the word of an abusive husband who was probably a fundie?

[hang a left]

2. There is a few very important cases the Supremes

are to consider. I think that the way these cases end up being ruled upon or refused to be heard are gonna be the writing on the wall for all of us Americans.

[bpilgrim]

3. to solve the problem is simple

follow the costitution. they had lots of experience in dealing with overbearing govs and designed it accordingly.

peace

[hang a left]

4. That is what I am praying for.

[Bandit]

5. This Supreme Court? ~~ Ya Right!

They have consistently ruled in favor of police and against the constitution. I don't expect that to change. It is a right-wing court and right-wingers make their own laws.

[lumpy]

6. Woe to anything that appears to be a commune

and in some cases places of worship.