(culled from ip list)
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/09/06/airline.id.ap/index.html Government wants ID arguments secret SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Justice has asked an appellate court to keep its arguments secret for a case in which privacy advocate John Gilmore is challenging federal requirements to show identification before boarding an airplane. [...] "We're dealing with the government's review of a secret law that now they want a secret judicial review for," one of Gilmore's attorneys, James Harrison, said in a phone interview Sunday. "This administration's use of a secret law is more dangerous to the security of the nation than any external threat." [...] "How are people supposed to follow laws if they don't know what they are?" Harrison said. The government contends its court arguments should be sealed from public view and heard before a judge outside the presence of Gilmore and his attorneys. The government, however, said it would plan to file another redacted public version of its arguments. ....and an update from last night.... Lawyers for John Gilmore filed their opposition to a Department of Justice attempt to file a secret brief in a case that involves secret law. The case, Gilmore vs. Ashcroft, is now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. DOJ filed a motion last Friday asking the Court's permission to file their arguments in secret, allowing only the judges to read their full brief. DOJ is trying to distract the Court and the public from the real issue in the case, which is whether or not American citizens can travel in their own country without official government paperwork. Their method of distraction: secret law. In a sharply-worded objection to the government's motion, Gilmore's lawyers stated that the government's "extreme cry for secrecy, preventing even plaintiff�s counsel from being privy to their legal arguments because plaintiff�s counsel does not meet defendants� self defined 'covered persons who have a need to know' criteria, is disturbing and illustrates the dangers of secret law." The DOJ motion and Mr. Gilmore's opposition can be downloaded at: http://www.papersplease.org/gilmore/legal.html -- You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
