Replies

A couple corrections, and some more notes in the same vein as above ...

FISA Court reports pursuant to 50 USC 1807

     Year        Applied       Granted      Denied        Modified

     1979          199           207          0              0
     1980          319           322          0              1*
     1981          431           433          0              0
     1982          473           475          0              0
     1983          549           549          0              0
     1984          635           635          0              0
     1985          587           587          0              0
     1986          573           573          0              0
     1987          512           512          0              0
     1988          534           534          0              0
     1989          546           546          0              0
     1990          595           595          0              0
     1991          593           593          0              0
     1992          484           484          0              0
     1993          509           509          0              0
     1994          576           576          0              0
     1995          697           697          0              0
     1996          839           839          0              0
     1997          749           748          1*             0
     1998          796           796          0              0
     1999          886           880          0              0
     2000        1,005         1,012          0              1
     2001          932           934          0              2   
     2002        1,228         1,228          0              2
     2003        1,727         1,724          4*            79
     2004        1,758         1,754          0             94

* 1980: No orders were entered which modified or denied the requested authority, except one case in which the Court modified an order and authorized an activity for which court authority had not been requested.
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/1980rept.html
* 1997: In one case, although satisfied as to the probable cause to believe the target to be an agent of a foreign power, the court declined to approve the application as plead for other reasons, and gave the government leave to amend the application. The government has filed a motion to withdraw that case as it has become moot.
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/1997rept.html
* 2003: Of the four applications thatteh Court denied, two merit additional discussion:

(1) In one case, the Court issued supplemental orders with respect to its denial, and the Government filed with the Court a motion for reconsideration of its rulings. The Court subsequently vacated its earlier orders and granted in part and denied in part the Government's motion for reconsideration. The Government has not yet appealed that ruling. In 2004, the Court approved a revised application regarding this target that incorporated modifications consistent with the Court's prior order with respect to the motion for reconsideration.
(2) In another case, the Court initially denied the application without prejudice. The Government presented amended orders to the Court later the same day, which the Court approved. Because the court eventually approved this application, it is in the 1724 total referenced above.

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/2003rept.pdf