-Caveat Lector- http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edped202112002nov20,0,5388847.story?coll=orl-opinion-headlines
Dangerous wiretap ruling Posted November 20, 2002 Our position: The appeals court ruling on secret searches flies in the face of the Fourth Amendment. In giving federal authorities more power to use wiretaps and other kinds of secret searches, an appeals court didn't just knock down the wall between intelligence gathering and criminal prosecutions. It also punched a hole in the Constitution. Monday's court ruling lets counterintelligence agents who monitor suspected spies and terrorists turn over their findings to prosecutors, who bring criminal charges. But what looks like simple information-sharing turns out to be a detour around the Constitution's Fourth Amendment. Thanks to the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable search and seizure, prosecutors must first show probable cause that a suspect has committed a crime before they get court approval to tap his phone, intercept his mail, monitor his computer use or enter his home. Counterintelligence agents don't need to meet the same high standard to snoop on alleged spies and terrorists. But if those agents can turn over any information they collect to prosecutors -- or worse, gather the information at the direction of prosecutors, as the court's ruling would allow -- the Fourth Amendment offers little check on government spying. It's unclear whether the court's ruling can be appealed to the Supreme Court. Fixing this hole may fall to Congress, where liberals and conservatives alike have expressed concern about protecting civil liberties. There is much the federal government can do to fight terrorism. It need not disregard the Constitution to do so. Copyright � 2002, Orlando Sentinel <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
