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Court Won't Allow Challenge To Surveillance Law
AP ^ | 02/26/2013 | Jesse J. Holland

Posted on 02/26/2013 9:54:14 AM PST by BuckeyeTexan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A sharply-divided Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out an attempt by U.S. citizens to challenge the expansion of a surveillance law used to monitor conversations of foreign spies and terrorist suspects.

With a 5-4 vote, the high court ruled that a group of American lawyers, journalists and organizations can't sue to challenge the 2008 expansion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) because they can't prove that the government will monitor their conversations along with those of potential foreign terrorist and intelligence targets.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 0rigging; fisa; scotus; surveillance
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To: 1010RD
"The burden of proof should be on the government and the American way is via legislation."

Yeah but the founding fathers didn't trust legislation or majority rule completely. That's why they passed the bill of rights as amendments that would be hard to change.

21 posted on 02/26/2013 11:26:25 AM PST by DannyTN
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To: DannyTN

I don’t agree with the burden shifting to the government (defendant) in those cases, but I do think the burden for proving standing in such cases should be less than the very rigid standards the courts use today in determining whether or not the plaintiffs have standing. Financial damages can be reimbursed, but the courts can’t undo the damage of violating rights and privacy. Saying “Oops! What the gov’t did was unconstitutional,” isn’t a just remedy IMHO.


22 posted on 02/26/2013 11:34:59 AM PST by BuckeyeTexan (There are those that break and bend. I'm the other kind.)
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To: DannyTN
That's why they passed the bill of rights as amendments that would be hard to change.

Yeah tell that to the 9th and 10th Amendments.

23 posted on 02/26/2013 11:36:17 AM PST by Ratman83
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To: BuckeyeTexan
He essentially said, “Come back when you can prove that the government has intercepted your communications and we’ll hear the case.”

Which is just fine for Uncle Scam. Any evidence of spying on the American people will remain secret under "national security" and any whistle blowers that bring forth evidence of this illegal activity will be put in jail.

And this no standing BS is that same reason Barry Soetoro is still in the White Hut. Apparently no citizen has standing in government courts when they try to sue the government for violating the Constitution.

24 posted on 02/26/2013 12:14:19 PM PST by Count of Monte Fisto (Republicans are to the Democrats as the Generals are to the Harlem Globetrotters)
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To: BuckeyeTexan

- Until it infringes upon and/or mortally damages a SCOTUS Justice or Obama thou have no standing


25 posted on 02/26/2013 1:29:53 PM PST by devolve ( ------------ ---It is not where Obama was born that is the problem - it is where he*s living now -)
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To: joe fonebone
The FISA Court predates GWB.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (or FISC) is a U.S. federal court authorized under 50 U.S.C. S: 1803, Pub.L. 95-511, 92 Stat. 1788, enacted October 25, 1978. It was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA).

26 posted on 02/26/2013 1:34:09 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: devolve
- Until it infringes upon and/or mortally damages a SCOTUS Justice or Obama thou have no standing

If we wanted the USSC to reverse the terrible Kelo decision what we would do is seize all of their land-property based on imaginary numbers (called projections) for tax increases, just like New London -- and spread the same to anyone who even housed them for more than two weeks.

27 posted on 02/26/2013 3:41:26 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: max americana
It of course, came down to the LIB FACTION of the SC to ruin the country once again.

Alito was joined in his decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

What would you expect from a gang of Republican appointees in the Earl Warren tradition.

28 posted on 02/26/2013 6:34:49 PM PST by PAR35
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To: joe fonebone; TurboZamboni; BuckeyeTexan; Ratman83; OneWingedShark; Carry_Okie

http://www.disinfo.com/2013/02/silent-circle-the-new-encryption-app-terrifying-the-government/

The idea is to “democratize encryption” by making it available to the non-tech-savvy with the push of a button. Will this be used for good or evil? Slate‘s Ryan Gallagher explains:

The startup tech firm Silent Circle’s groundbreaking encrypted data transfer app will enable people to send files securely from a smartphone or tablet at the touch of a button—photographs, videos, spreadsheets, you name it—sent scrambled from one person to another in a matter of seconds.

The technology uses a sophisticated peer-to-peer encryption technique that allows users to send encrypted files of up to 60 megabytes through a “Silent Text” app. The sender of the file can set it on a timer so that it will automatically “burn”—deleting it from both devices after a set period of, say, seven minutes. It’s a game-changer that will almost certainly make life easier and safer for journalists, dissidents, diplomats, and companies trying to evade surveillance.


29 posted on 02/26/2013 7:43:14 PM PST by B4Ranch (When democracy turns to tyranny, we still get to vote. We just won't use voting booths to do it.)
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To: dirtboy

The justices said that those filing the lawsuit had no standing.

Fine.

I wish judges across America would follow this same logic when radical environmental groups file their silly lawsuits......these environmentalists have no standing either in the overwhelming majority of their lawsuits.


30 posted on 02/26/2013 8:39:22 PM PST by july4thfreedomfoundation (November 6, 2012.....A day that will live in infamy!)
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To: Cboldt

yes, the fisa court is a jimmah carter deal...

bushie just gave it more teeth...

and of course, fubo is putting metal incisors on the teeth bushie gave him..


31 posted on 02/27/2013 4:15:25 AM PST by joe fonebone (The clueless... they walk among us, and they vote...)
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To: B4Ranch

The mission-impossible-style self-destruct feature is fascinating.


32 posted on 02/27/2013 6:11:45 AM PST by BuckeyeTexan (There are those that break and bend. I'm the other kind.)
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To: Count of Monte Fisto

You raise a good point. How will the respondents prove that their communications have been intercepted? It is my understanding that Congress (a couple of reps) sent a letter to the DOJ asking how many Americans have had their communications intercepted under FISA and the DOJ responded that to answer that question would violate the privacy of those citizens.


33 posted on 02/27/2013 6:18:23 AM PST by BuckeyeTexan (There are those that break and bend. I'm the other kind.)
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To: max americana
Half right. It of course, came down to the LIB FACTION of the SC to ruin the country once again.

The four liberals dissented from this decision. The majority decision was by the four "conservatives" plus the swing-vote Kennedy.

34 posted on 02/27/2013 8:01:49 AM PST by Lurking Libertarian (Non sub homine, sed sub Deo et lege)
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To: BuckeyeTexan
It is my understanding that Congress (a couple of reps) sent a letter to the DOJ asking how many Americans have had their communications intercepted under FISA and the DOJ responded that to answer that question would violate the privacy of those citizens.

IOW enough to cause a major backlash politically if it were known. I'm guessing that it's 30% or more -- though even 10% would be disturbing.

35 posted on 02/27/2013 8:56:54 AM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: BuckeyeTexan

“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken


36 posted on 02/28/2013 10:29:59 AM PST by B4Ranch (When democracy turns to tyranny, we still get to vote. We just won't use voting booths to do it.)
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