Gilmore Commission Recommends Secret 'Cyber Court'

hillct writes: "Yesterday the House Committee on Science received newly released cyber security recommendations from Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore, III of the Gilmore Commission. Most disturbing among these recommendations was a call for "Establishment of a special 'Cyber Court' patterned after the court established in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act"." See also the Wired story. Do we really need another secret, unaccountable court?

Comments

Why Yes, Yes we do need another secret court.

[maggard]

For over 200 years the USA has suffered under it's impractical Constitution and the unworkable so-called "Bill of Rights". We need to move forward into a new era where we can compete with every tin-pot dictatorship and repressive regime on their own level!

Only criminals need fear this - you're not a criminal are you?

if they can do it so can we

[how_would_i_know]

"Instead, Gilmore told the House Science committee, the commission will recommend that a "cyber court" be created with extraordinary powers to authorize electronic surveillance and secret searches of suspected hackers' homes and offices."

Well... maybe we should convice some judge to create a new 'cyber congress' with extraordinary powers of resistance to soft money.

Yeah That's Just What We Need

[Greyfox]

Secret courts and a national ID card. We also need to be able to create laws and retroactively punish people under them, be able to jail people for speaking out against the government and be able to house troops in normal peoples' houses. Oh, and tax tea at 3x its normal price.

Gratuitous Simpsons Quote

[s20451]

Do we really need another secret, unaccountable court?

Lisa: It's a rhetorical question! ... Do you know what rhetorical means?

Homer: Do _I_ know what _rhetorical_ means?

Ummm... already in place.

[FortKnox]

Do we really need another secret, unaccountable court?

I'm assuming you aren't including the courts of judgement under the juristiction of the trilateral commission? Icarus is already watching you, and soon you'll be in the secret court of the illuminati. The US government is just trying to mimic this.

If we could only locate the aquantus hub and destroy it...

Time for Sesame Street again.

[Tackhead]

From Wired:
> Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Michigan) suggested additional punitive measures. "I think hackers should also be considered terrorists and sentences that hackers get should be in line with terrorist sentences,"

Let's see here...

• Scanning port 137.
  
• DDOSing eBay.
  
• r00ting j00r b0x3n and writing 4LL J00r B4$3 R B3L0NG 2 US on your website!
  
• Flying three 767s, fully-loaded with fuel, into office buildings, murdering 6000-7000 people in the process.

"One of these things is not like the other. One of these things does not belong."

I'm gave up expecting wisdom out of our Congresscritters years ago. As for their ability to grasp complex technological and constitutional issues, that's also hoping too much.

But at the moment, I'd settle for a demonstration that they're capable of understanding Sesame Street.

Re:Could be interesting

[Mad Marlin]

This cyber court you speak of, it already exists. We call it slashdot. All we need to do is tie it into the legal system somehow.

Yes, that is exactly what we need, a legally recognised Slashdot, where I get ``modded'' to 5 years in prison for using FreeBSD instead of the ever-so-worderfully communist Linux. Heaven help me if the court discovered that I don't want to kill Bill Gates on sight.

Blah

[PinkStainlessTail]

Gilmore's current job as chairman of the Republican Party and his reputation of being tech-savvy -- AOL Time Warner's online operations are in Virginia -- add to his clout.

Yeh, he sounds like a pretty 1337 d00d.

First sign this is a load of crap

[ryepup]

is the word "Cyber". Maybe we should get an iTechno-X-Court. Anyone who can say "cyber-court" without snickering, dripping sarcasm, or making finger quotes does not deserve our ears.
If anything, /. needs to be the hacker court, moderating good hacks up, and bad hacks down. For example, I saw an ASP reference site where someone had done a global find and replace, s/default/defect/gi
This should be modded up. Media, and politicians especially, don't make the distinction between hackers and crackers. If someone breaks into my machine and just plays around, doing harmless things, then I'd be interested in emailing this person to ask how they did it, not prosecute. If they did something malicious, then yes, they need some punishment.
I believe most people in Congress are techno-phobes, (all with websites, most likely) and are using this tragedy as an excuse to take power away from the people. Personally, I would vote for a techonophile over an older man, regardless of party affiliation, because they wouldn't suggest stupid things like "cyber-court" or crypto-backdoors.

Bill Gates' Application to sit on the Cyber Court

[parliboy]

Sometime in 2004...

"Hi, I'd like to apply for a position on the cyber court."

"That's fine, could you please establish your education for us?"

"Well, I went to Harvard for three years before I dropped out to form my own New World Or... er... company."

"I'm sorry, sir, but we require a bachelor's degree for all members of the court."

"I'm Bill Gates, dammit! I founded MicroSoft! I'm the richest man in the world!"

"Oh, you should go see the summons department then. They've been wanting to meet with you about why people who have Office FU keep reporting lost data due to someone sniffing around from an IP we traced to Redmond."

"Err... it was Nintendo of America! Yeah, that's the ticket!"

"Do you have a toothbrush, sir?"

Re:Great

[Winged Cat]

Next thing you know, I'll be needed to license my palm pilot.

What, you mean like a pilot's license? ;)

double secret probation...

[Hooya]

are they going to be responsible for coming up with the 'double secret probation'?