Supreme Court Rejects Domestic Spy Suit

Ruling Won't Allow ACLU To Sue For Information Regarding Warrantless Wiretaps

(CBS/AP)  The Supreme Court rejected a challenge Tuesday to the Bush administration's domestic spying program.

The justices' decision, issued without comment, is the latest setback to legal efforts to force disclosure of details of the warrantless wiretapping that began after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The American Civil Liberties Union wanted the court to allow a lawsuit by the group and individuals over the wiretapping program. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the suit, saying the plaintiffs could not prove their communications had been monitored.

The government has refused to turn over information about the closely guarded program that could reveal who has been under surveillance.

ACLU legal director Steven R. Shapiro has said his group is in a "Catch-22" because the government says the identities of people whose communications have been intercepted is secret. But only people who know they have been wiretapped can sue over the program, Shapiro has said.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year ruled against an Islamic charity that also challenged program, concluding that a key piece of evidence is protected as a state secret.

In that case, the Oregon-based U.S. arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation alleged the National Security Agency illegally listened to its calls. The charity had wanted to introduce as evidence a top-secret call log it received mistakenly from the Treasury Department.

A separate lawsuit against telecommunications companies that have cooperated with the government is pending in the San Francisco-based appeals court. A U.S. district court also is examining whether the warrantless surveillance of people in the United States violates the law that regulates the wiretapping of suspected terrorists and requires the approval of a secret court.

Another highly anticipated ruling was handed down Tuesday as the Supreme Court refused to offer help to Hurricane Katrina victims who want their insurance companies to pay for flood damage to their homes and businesses.

The justices rejected appeals from Xavier University and 68 other individuals and businesses seeking to allow their lawsuits against the insurers to go forward.

Xavier asked the court to step in after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the policies did not cover damage from floods, even those that resulted from man-made failures such as the collapsed levees in New Orleans.

[sgtrds]

pfd572

Bravo and well said! I''m proud to be a supporter of the ACLU! It constantly boggles my mind that any American could hate an organization whose sole reason for existing is to protect their Constitutional rights.

[pfd572]

The ACLU is the MOST American organization we have. Their sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights/Constitution. They do not represent individuals or groups, they defend the Constitution. Unfortunately, some of the cases representing an attack on our rights have some pretty unsavory people attached to them. I assure you that the ACLU cringes when they have to associate with these people in order to make sure ALL OUR RIGHTS are protected. When someones rights are in danger, all our rights are in danger. What if someone didn''t like your position and infringed on your rights? Who do you think would come to your support? The ACLU. The only thing the ACLU protects is the Constitution and every true American should be card carrying members. We need them now more than ever, while our gov''t is working overtime to undermine the Bill of Rights and cheat the American public.

[ioweign]

*******************from what I know, the check and balances came in play..he was found not guilty, got a hefty sum of cash and is being a lawyer again..and if he plays his cards right..a book deal and lots of speaking engagement at several liberal rallies..

kinda went well for him..dont you think?

its not as bad as your beheading

Posted by libsrsissy at 11:03 PM : Feb 19, 2008

But...the checks and balances DID NOT work - they NEVER used it correctly.

He had to prove HIS innocence.

The system DID NOT work right because they never used it.

[cantshutup]

stop them if you can, you can''t, you can''t stop slaving yourself to them, get to bed, you''ve got work, someone needs to spend and consume, they''ll be there bright and early, get the donuts ready....i could plant a garden, i''ll ride my bike, i won''t eat meat...i''ll show them...i''m keepin my dollar!

[cantshutup]

Americans are pigs...Our politicians are pigs...we b1t@h and moan about this law and that liberty and then we drive to the walgreens to pick up our prozac and coke fridge pack and forget someone''s listening, while we''re on the cell talking about how drunk i got and g0d did he wear a condomn and blah blah blah and george and the vp are protecting us from the next 9/11 we are already dead, we are zombies and we won''t realize it we can''t buy one more solitary thing, till we have devoured every living cow and tossed their living bodies as if they were garbage...and my step dad used to say "kids, don''t get so attached to that calf...he''ll be on our plate someday" but it was so cute and big eyes dark and friendly ... and i accidentally saw the slaughter, a man shot it in the head and the steer rampaged through the corral and he had to slice open its neck and the blood gushed and the cow cried out gurgling till its last breath dropped it to the ground...later they left the stomaches in the field and the dogs and coyotes got it later that night...keep buying value meals, pumping the petrol and opening your wallets to PHARMACUTICAL, OIL, BEEF, MACHINES OF WAR the corporate list goes on...and stop them in their tracks

[sgtrds]

Tell Brandon Mayfield that...

Posted by IOWEIGN at 09:56 PM : Feb 19, 2008

Right on. His case is like many murder/rape cases before DNA. You wonder how many others were railroaded and ended up with no justice at all. He was presumed guilty until able to prove that he was innocent. MY America does not do that. Bush''s does.

[ioweign]

They are wire tapping terrorist not American citizens.Good for the SC in finally ending the ACLU''''s anti-American agenda.

Posted by fcs25 at 07:43 PM : Feb 19, 2008

Tell Brandon Mayfield that...

[stan692000]

"Government has always had the right to wiretap those calls where both parties are outside the US.we do not know waht they wanna do next step" ,some one wrote on his blog on the hot dating site~~~~Tallmingle.com

Posted by lily1984

What are you trying to say? I don''t understand.

[sgtrds]

Posted by lily1984 at 08:48 PM : Feb 19, 2008

Dic*khead spammer. Don''t they realize they come off looking like total as*sholes when they do this sh*it?

[itgranny]

libsrweak
any innocent american citizens jailed due to this????any americans jailed due to non-terrorist acts from this??

Who would ever know since we''re starting to round up people, put them in secret prisons, torturing them and keeping them there indefinately with no charges, trials or representation.

I dont'' care if they wiretap, they just need to do it rightfully. We seem to have a big problem remembering that we have 3 branches of gov. and we need to keep 2 of them involved in any decision making process. I call bologna when they say it''s too slow getting a judge to sign a wiretap order within up to 3 days AFTER setting up the wiretap.

While it gets thrown at us "what are you hiding?" to not want people listening in on our conversations, let''s turn it around and ask them, "what are you hiding?" for not wanting their judicial or legislative siblings to know who they are tapping or why.

[sgtrds]

The government has always had the right to wiretap those calls where both parties are outside the US.

Posted by stan692000 at 08:06 PM : Feb 19, 2008

Right and I think we can all agree that''s necessary. Of course it''s when they turned their listening on completely domestic calls and email, without any warrant of court oversight, that they stepped over the line into criminal behaviour.

[sgtrds]

seem much combat??

Posted by libsrweak at 08:04 PM : Feb 19, 2008

None at all. Never fired my weapon in anger once.

[stan692000]

They are wire tapping terrorist not American citizens.Good for the SC in finally ending the ACLU''''s anti-American agenda.

Posted by fcs25

Actually, the wiretapping which is questioned IS the wiretapping of citizens, US Citizens. Whether they be terrorists or not. What triggers it is when you talk over the phone to someone outside of the US. If you believe it is limited to that. The government has always had the right to wiretap those calls where both parties are outside the US.

[libsrweak]

The above is a complete pile of streaming sh*it. I have never claimed to be anything but in the Air Force. Why would I when the USAF is the best branch?

;-)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by SgtRDS at 07:59 PM : Feb 19, 2008
+ report abuse


*********

seem much combat??

[sgtrds]

dowjones1K,
Your inane blather is quite entertaining, in a mentally deficient sort of way,...........
carry on, Adolph.....

Posted by veteran71 at 06:22 PM : Feb 19, 2008

He is amusing in that sort of politically incorrect way that happens when you see a homeless mental patient mumbling to himself on the street and claiming the FBI/CIA/Government was behind 9-11 and that fluoride in the water system is a commie plot.

[stan692000]

Fine, since you won''t let up on this age thing. I voted against Ronald Reagan twice. I remember that the last honest Presdident we had was an ineffective peanut farmer from Georgia, whose brother marketed his own brand of beer and was caught relieving himself behind an airport hanger (or some other public place). I actually watched some of the Watergate hearings. Graduated several times from college, the last time was more than 15 years ago. Now, your turn, cause you''ve now raised my suspicions about your age based on your continued insistence on discussing the issue.

BTW, you first mentioned corruption as somehow related to the issue of warrantless wiretaps (which I thought was the topic). I was espousing my opinion that search warrants were the middle ground in response to your suggestion that if the SC opinion had gone the other way... nevermind. Go back and read our posts if you''d like to debate it, please. I don''t type very well and can''t retype it all.

[sgtrds]

btw..a few months ago you were leading everybody that you were a US marine..and now you are in the US Air Force..the next navy issue..you would be a US Navy???

you are such a bullsh*ter

Posted by libsrweak at 06:57 PM : Feb 19, 2008

The above is a complete pile of streaming sh*it. I have never claimed to be anything but in the Air Force. Why would I when the USAF is the best branch?

;-)

[slim1h2o]

Thats what freedoms you and I have lost. Check it out, don''''t believe me.

Posted by ToolMangler at 07:46 PM : Feb 19, 2008

He won''t believe you,,in fact most people won''t either.

But I do,,just watch these cop shows,,if you need proof. I see liberties abused on those shows all the time. But,, because they are considered scums of the earth,, they will not be protected.

Hence,,End of Rights! For all of us!

[toolmangler-2009]

So far in my sixty years the only thing that has bothered me is the airport screenings, I have not loss ANY freedoms of ANY kind I am secure in my person, my family and my home. Can anyone of you tell me (with documentation) of how any of these acts taken away ANY of your rights? .
Posted by gunnerv1 at 03:29 PM : Feb 19, 2008



Gunner, you lost the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure when the "SUPREME" court upheld the rights of police to pull you over "on suspicion" and ask for the right to search your car, if yu do not grant the right then they have you arrested and held until a warrant can be drawn up (based on your refusal to allow an unwarranted search.) On the suspicion of illegal activity they have the right to break your door to your home (locked or unlocked) and throw everybody (and I mean EVERYBODY) on the floor, handcuff them and search your home for illegal substances, guns or people of questionable character. the moment they find a weapon (knife more than 6 inches long or fireworks in most states (illegal explosives) they have you, and are allowed to earch your computers for "PORN" or anything else they happen to find that has been put in you ''cookie bin'' and you are a gone goose because all of a sudden, you are a ''sexual pervert'' (minimum) or a (the sky is the limit) (maximum). Thats what freedoms you and I have lost. Check it out, don''t believe me.

[fredcs25]

They are wire tapping terrorist not American citizens.Good for the SC in finally ending the ACLU''s anti-American agenda.