Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretapping Program Illegal

Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretapping Program Illegal

www.nytimes.com

In a 45-page opinion, Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that the government had violated a 1978 federal statute requiring court approval for domestic surveillance when it intercepted phone calls of Al Haramain, a now-defunct Islamic charity in Oregon, and of two lawyers representing it in 2004. Declaring that the plaintiffs had been “subjected to unlawful surveillance,” the judge said the government was liable to pay them damages.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This story gives me hope... I wonder if anyone in the bush admin is going to catch any flack for this. I seriously doubt it, but they definitely should. This has nothing to do with Obama, except that he kept the program secret. For some strange reason I don't think the president is the one pulling the strings here.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

So when is this judge gonna put OBAMA AND BUSH ON TRIAL FOR THOSE CRIMES?

And the crazy thing IS THAT YOU NEED A JUDGE to tell people that it is illegal... IT IS COMMON SENSE IT'S FREAKING ILLEGAL.

It's all good and dandy to say it's illegal but if no one ends up in jail for it, it doesn't matter...

[edit on 31-3-2010 by Vitchilo]

He should've fined AT&T for being an accomplice, helping NSA to spy.

Installing a hidden room inside an AT&T datacenter, yes...

This ruling will get overturned in the name of the Patriot Act. The question is when and by whom. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if this judge suddenly issued his resignation without explanation.

The laws do not matter to those that feel themselves above the masses, the little people, the herd, the sheep, the flock, the poor. While it would be great to see the guilty regardless of executive level, held accountable, but in today's world, that is asking for something akin to turning lead into gold.

On the other hand if the NSA would turn its "Eye" on those inside all of federal service and began looking for corruption and fraud and sedition, we would save billions in waste fraud and criminal corruption that leads to missing trillions of tax payer dollars. I say it is time to turn the NSA on a challenge that will return us to what is truly right from what is truly wrong.

We must return to a moral and decent society and then use the justice of our judicial system to punish those that would so freely violate the laws of the land and act as if the rules do not apply to them, the Ruling Class of America. From what I can tell, the Ruling Class of the Global Government do not expect to be held accountable for their crimes against America and they pretty much so far have avoided any type of criminal prosecution let alone prison time.

Arrogance and greed blended with a criminal preference for greed, bribes and a collective go along to get along culture is what needs to be ended. End the corruption and use the NSA to do it. It is the federal employees that cost us in stolen tax dollars, stolen technology, stolen national secrets and undermine and endanger the safety of everyone of us.

It is the one place that needs to be truly clean of corruption to function and it should be the standard to understand that it is an honor to open your life, personal activities, and all matters personal and professional activities to the NSA while employed as a federal employee.

Anyway, it's an idea that I feel it's time has come. Thanks for the posting.

reply to post by MaxBlack


I agree with you completely. I think that the government needs to follow the constitution. The executive branch is supposed to be kept in check by the judicial branch. The judicial branch here just is exerting their powers of checks and balances.

We can't let the executive branch of government that regardless of whatever kind of government a nation has- lets itself go towards the way of authoritarianism become out of check.

The executive branch at least within the past decade and still even now has been making a mockery out of our whole constitutional system. The executive should comply with this ruling, and, so should the NSA, and we need to restore our country back to one that follows the rules of law, and, we need to be a just society once more. I think one way we could go about doing that is restoring the bill of rights and the constitution and we'd get somewhere.

[edit on 1-4-2010 by Frankidealist35]