FISA is a court made up of seven district court judges personally selected by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for staggered terms. Their names are kept secret in the interests of US national security. FISA has a reputation for being a rubber stamp --- in 20,000 requests for wiretaps, they've turned down five. They also process requests nearly instantaneously.
FISA is not a liberal court by any stretch. And it's a tremendously powerful tool for any anti-terrorism agent.
Thanks. I actually found the info on google. FISA is a court with 11 members, ALL named by Bill Rehnquist. There's also a 3 judge FISA appeals court, again all named by Rehnquist. The site actually listed the names of the judges and who they are but I won't here. It's interesting that during Roberts' hearings I think only DeWine asked him like 1 question about FISA. It's a pretty important issue and a big deal since as Chief he'll be naming FISA judges for the next 25-30 yrs. But I guess abortion is more important.
20,000 requests.......over what period of time. FISA has existed for a long time......(I think 20 years).
FISA does not process requests immediately. The 9/11 Commission stated, after taking testimony from the FBI, that warrants can take weeks.