Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Secret Court Will Provide Judiciary Committee With Copy of Wiretapping Ruling



Print
Comment

Sep 13, 2002, By Jesse J. Holland

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- One of the nation's most secret courts has assured senators that it will reveal to them its decision on whether the Justice Department should have more power to wiretap suspected terrorists and spies.

The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review told the Senate Judiciary Committee it will send them an unclassified copy of its decision on whether the Justice Department has gone beyond the limits of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in its wiretapping requests.

Senators want to know the secret court's ruling so they could know how prosecutors are using the additional powers Congress granted after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"As soon as we have an opinion completed, I will be sure to see that you get an unclassified copy," said U.S. Appeals Court Judge Ralph Guy, a member of the review court, in a Wednesday letter to the Judiciary Committee.

For the first time in its 24-year existence, the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review met to review a Justice Department request to use espionage wiretaps for criminal operations.

Its lower court in August struck down a Justice Department surveillance request and its assertion that it can use Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act wiretaps for criminal as well as espionage operations. The Justice Department appealed the decision to the higher court.

The appeals court made no announcement of whether it had made a decision or whether it would be made public.

But senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee immediately asked the court to make its decision public. Lawmakers are arguing over whether the anti-terrorism law they passed after the Sept. 11 attacks gave the Justice Department permission to expand its espionage wiretapping activities.

"We need to know how this law is being interpreted and applied," Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Tuesday.

The Justice Department says the USA Patriot Act changed the surveillance law to permit its use when collecting information about foreign spies or terrorists when it is "a significant purpose," rather than "the purpose," of such an investigation. Previously, the FISA wiretaps could only be used for foreign intelligence investigations and not criminal investigations.

Democrats say they didn't intend to expand the wiretapping powers to criminal investigations, while Republicans insist that it's what the law intended.

Copyright 2002. Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
KW

If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.