Groups Urge Supreme Court: Uphold Accuracy In Police Databases
Odd that this request even has to exist must less reach the US Supreme
Court.
Accuracy and accountability are essential to maintaining a healthy honest
justice system.
With all the billions being spent on cyber programs to surveil US citizens
email, snail mail, financial records, and even holiday card lists -- you would
think - that ensuring accuracy and a clear correction mechanism and even
citizen input to review, clear up, or rebut such data would be an integral
part
of every cyber software contract and database requirement document.
A free thriving republic demands open and honest and just use of any and all
government documents and databases - accurately maintained and limited in
citizen personal privacy intrusion.
Here are some highlights with links below - crg
* [May 15, 2008] Today, EPIC filed a "friend of the court" brief in
the United States Supreme Court, urging the Justices to ensure the accuracy of
police databases. The brief was filed on behalf of 27 legal scholars and
technical experts and 13 privacy and civil liberty groups..
* government and commercial databases are filled with errors;
according to the federal government's own reports. "Yet the government has
further
compounded the problems with record inaccuracies with two decisions: first,
the
increased distribution of the data not just among government agencies but
among federal, state, local, tribal and commercial entities; and second, the
exemption of database systems from important privacy and accuracy requirements
set out in federal laws."
* The amici warned that, "to permit a good faith reliance on data that
is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date will actually exacerbate the
problem and increase the likelihood of unfair treatment in the criminal
justice
system."
Peace, Hugs, and Purrs
Carolyn Rose Goyda
Saint Louis, Missouri USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
EPIC, Groups Urge Supreme Court: Uphold Accuracy In Police Databases
Excerpted from: EPIC Alert - Volume 15.10
May 15, 2008
Today, EPIC filed a "friend of the court" brief in the United States Supreme
Court, urging the Justices to ensure the accuracy of police databases. The
brief was filed on behalf of 27 legal scholars and technical experts and 13
privacy and civil liberty groups.
In Herring v. US, the Court will be asked to determine whether an arrest
based on inaccurate information in a criminal justice database should be
upheld.
EPIC explained how government databases are becoming increasingly
unreliable; according to the government's own studies. EPIC also urged the
Court to
"ensure an accuracy obligation on law enforcement agents who rely on criminal
justice information systems."
Amici said that the technology of government databases has changed
dramatically since 1995, when the Court upheld the use of evidence obtained
from an
erroneous arrest record that was the product of a clerical mistake. In recent
years, there has been an increase in information sharing not just among
government agencies but also among federal, state, local, tribal and
commercial
entities.
The policies and practices of modern-day policing have been changed by the
federal governments Information Sharing Environment as well as state and local
fusion centers. These developments allow broad data gathering and sharing.
"Today, the police have within their electronic reach access to an
extraordinary range of databases including: the National Crime Information
Center,
systems associated with the federal government's employment eligibility
verification system, terrorist watch lists and various commercial databases,"
amici
said.
These government and commercial databases are filled with errors; according
to the federal government's own reports. "Yet the government has further
compounded the problems with record inaccuracies with two decisions: first,
the
increased distribution of the data not just among government agencies but
among federal, state, local, tribal and commercial entities; and second, the
exemption of database systems from important privacy and accuracy requirements
set out in federal laws."
The amici warned that, "to permit a good faith reliance on data that is
inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date will actually exacerbate the problem
and
increase the likelihood of unfair treatment in the criminal justice system."
"Friend-of-the-"Friend-of-the-<WBR>court," Brief by EPIC, 27 Legal Scholars
and Technical Experts and 13 Privacy and Civil Liberty Groups (pd
_http://epic.http://epic.http://epichttp://epic.htt_
(http://epic.org/privacy/herring/07-513tsac_epic.pdf)
US Supreme Court Docket page for Herring v. US:
_http://www.supremechttp://www.http://wwwhttp://_
(http://www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/07-513.htm)
EPIC page on Herring v. US:
_http://epic.http://epic.http://e_ (http://epic.org/privacy/herring/)
EPIC's page on the 2003 online petition urging the reestablishment of
accuracy requirements for the FBI's National Crime Information Center, the
nation's
largest criminal justice database:
_http://epic.http://epic.http:_ (http://epic.org/privacy/ncic/)
_http://www.epic.http://wwwhttp://www.http://www_
(http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_15.10.html)
**************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family
favorites at AOL Food.
(http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
