1. Abolish FISA Court. Secret courts have no place in justice.
2. Domestic spying by CIA is already illegal. Punishment must cruel and unusual.
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I’m no FISA court fan but the alternative is probably worse. There are legitimate occasions when you need to spy on an American - when you have a real American citizen spying for the Russians or the Chinese or whoever.
There needs to be strict controls on that, someway to avoid the political abuse that we have seen over the last 4 years. Right now it looks like we have a Rubber Stamp called FISA COURT. That has to end. If that can’t be done then I would take your position. No more spying directly on Americans.
The alternative is what we had before FISA, right? The government can snoop for foreign intelligence, and does not need a warrant to do so. FISA was passed so evidence uncovered while snooping for foreign intelligence could be used to prosecute criminal activity. The Keith case is what triggered FISA - was a prosecution of a bomber operating in the US. The government didn't bother to get a warrant, and argued it didn't need one.
When the case is REALLY spying, no warrant is needed, period. Aldrich Ames house was tossed, no warrant, no issue either. How the F.B.I. Finally Caught Aldrich Ames. Post-FISA, for what it's worth.
-- There needs to be strict controls on that ... --
LOL. FISA has "strict controls," and the real upshot of FISA is a make work to the order of millions of dollars worth of lawyers and judges. Stacks of paper nobody will ever refer to. Total waste. Shut it down.
The government is always going to snoop on its citizens to the extent technology facilitates. The law has no effect against the government.
A secret court where only the government is represented is un-American.
Regular federal courts are sufficient for the FBI to get search warrants. If Federal Courts are insufficient for this, how is a secret federal court more trustworthy?
Remember, we never needed a secret court during the original cold war and we conducted deadly serious investigations.
Secret courts are un-American.
The damage from widespread pervasive spying on the the American people has done far more damage than any activity conducted by some US citizens. (citizens who could easily be pursued under the regular criminal justice system anyway)