Feds Fight Ruling on Security Letters

[LeighAnn]

Source: AP via the St. Louis Examiner

The U.S. government on Monday appealed a ruling that it shouldn't be able to get personal phone, e-mail and financial records without a judge's approval, as now allowed under the USA Patriot Act.

The decision to appeal the September ruling by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to put out a release quoting the unidentified plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Identified only as the president of a small Internet service provider who has faced a gag order for more than three years, the plaintiff complained that the statutes in the act "give the government far too much power and that the secrecy surrounding the statutes is excessive."

<snip>

In March, the government released a report showing the FBI issued approximately 8,500 national security letter requests in 2000, the year before the passage of the Patriot Act. The number of requests rose to 39,000 by 2003 and to 56,000 in 2004 before falling to 47,000 in 2005. Most of the requests sought telephone billing records, telephone or e-mail subscriber information or electronic communication transactional records.



Read more: http://www.examiner.com/a-1030704~Feds_Fight_Ruling_on_Security_Letters.html

[DCKit]

1. This says it all. 9/11 simply enabled them to further destroy Democracy.

"the government released a report showing the FBI issued approximately 8,500 national security letter requests in 2000"

[Robbien]

2. This ruling makes the government a criminal organization, does it not?

Since we all know they didn't immediately stop the spying once this ruling was handed down.

[Quantess]

3. K & R.