Judges want to know whether warrants were tainted by NSA program (WaPo)

[kpete]

Surveillance Court Is Seeking Answers
Judges Were Unaware of Eavesdropping

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 5, 2006; A02


Several judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court said they want to hear directly from administration officials why President Bush believed he had the authority to order, without the court's permission, wiretapping of some phone calls and e-mails after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Of serious concern to several judges is whether any information gleaned from intercepts by the National Security Agency was later used to gain their permission for wiretaps without the source being disclosed.

Some judges who spoke on the condition of anonymity yesterday said they want to know whether warrants they signed were tainted by the NSA program. Depending on the answers, the judges said they could demand some proof that wiretap applications were not improperly obtained. Defense attorneys could have a valid argument to suppress evidence against their clients, some judges said, if information about them was gained through warrantless eavesdropping that was not revealed to the defense.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010401864_pf.html

[ixion]

1. "why President Bush believed he had the authority"

:wow: that's a nice smackdown, that, in so many words, says "What the hell were you thinking? You have no authority to do that whatsoever!"

[fasttense]

2. A better question to ask Crazy King George is what laws do you think

apply to you?

[peace frog]

3. The madness of King George

"L'etat, c'est moi"