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Part Of The Patriot Act Shot Down

Posted by timothy on from the checks-and-balances dept.

jtwJGuevara writes "In a victory today for the ACLU, (and many Slashdotters I presume) the section of the Patriot Act which gives power to the FBI to demand confidential financial records from companies as part of terrorist investigations has been ruled unconstitutional by a U.S. District Judge. Victor Marreo, the District Judge who made this ruling, states that the provision of the Patriot Act in question 'effectively bars or substantially deters any judicial challenge.'"

23 of 618 comments (clear)

  1. Part Of The Patriot Act Shot Down by 5m477m4n · · Score: 1, Funny

    was it shot down with a Patriot missle?

    --

    ---
    Those who can, do
    Those who can't, teach
    Those who don't know how, supervise
  2. Re:This means nothing by spezz · · Score: 5, Funny
    Don't go waving your JD and fancy 5 digit ID around here with your "informed opinions" and "reasonable conclusions".

    This is slashdot, call somebody a fascist or a pirate, roll around in it a while.

    --
    come for the naked robots, stay for the zombies
  3. Re:Yay, Rah, Go Constitution! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, i remember when George Washington sent his troops in to blow up british restaurants filled with women and children.

  4. Holy cow by LucidBeast · · Score: 5, Funny

    darn activist judges, the laws name has word Patriot in it! Doesn't that in itself make it immune to judicial review? I mean it not like it's name is communist act or something.

    1. Re:Holy cow by ari_j · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, but calling it the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act is the problem. It's unconstitutional to use contrived acronyms more than 6 letters in length. (US Const., Amendment 73)

    2. Re:Holy cow by ari_j · · Score: 3, Funny

      The 73rd Amendment is the one prohibiting contrived acronyms over 6 letters in length. It's part of the Bill of Jokes. My constitution is evidently better than yours if you can't seem to find it. :)

    3. Re:Holy cow by MonkeyCookie · · Score: 3, Funny

      Amendment 73? I've heard those secret laws that they've been passing since 2001, where they can't tell you what the law says, but they can arrest you for violating it. There apparently are secret amendments too.

      Apparently, you've stumbled across the secret constitution with the 100 Patriot-Flag-Waving-Nationalism-Anti-Terrorism-Jin goism amendments that the Department of Justice keeps stashed away somewhere.

      Unfortunately, you failed to read the 100th amendment, which states that you aren't allow to reveal any of these amendments anywhere. Of course, I'm not allowed to reveal that amendment either.

      Well, it looks like we will soon both be charged with something very vague and terrorism-related, and sent off to Guantanamo. Flee the country while you can, citizen.

    4. Re:Holy cow by ari_j · · Score: 2, Funny

      Uh-oh...that actually violates amendments 73 and 107, which prohibits changing what USA stands for.

  5. Re:This means nothing by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 4, Funny
    Don't go waving your JD and fancy 5 digit ID around here with your "informed opinions" and "reasonable conclusions".
    Hey, Ma! Look at the 6 digit pipsqueak!!!!
  6. Re:This means something by Kenja · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yahoo, lawyer fight! I got ten dollars on the little scrappy guy with the Armani suit.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  7. Re:This means something by dr_dank · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is good law there, until either overruled by the Supremes, or made the Law of the Land by the Supremes.

    That is, unless it's vetoed by Diana Ross.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
  8. Re:This means nothing by xilet · · Score: 1, Funny

    Remember 4 digit slashdot users make baby jesus cry

  9. Re:This means nothing by Just+Another+Perl+Ha · · Score: 1, Funny

    You mean, like mine? :)

  10. Re:This means nothing by Elrond,+Duke+of+URL · · Score: 2, Funny

    In that case...

    Take THAT baby Jesus!

    --
    Elrond, Duke of URL
    "This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"-Sam&Max
  11. Re:this is defending MY rights? by smclean · · Score: 2, Funny
    Pharmaceutical industry vs insurance industry. Accountants vs investors. Polluters vs growers. What are these people running from? They're not! They're running to the world's toughest gameshow in town.

    Most Extreme Elimination Challenge!

    --

    "'Yrch!' said Legolas, falling into his own tongue."

  12. Re:This means nothing by ari_j · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or disgusted by your existance.

    I suggest the former - you can at least spell that one.

  13. Re:This means something by lothar97 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey, I'm 6'5", and my office has a casual dress code- I usually wear jeans, shorts, or sandals (assuming I'm not wearing sandals during the fight.) I think that should push more bets my way.

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  14. Re:This means something by Smallpond · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh. So you're an ACLU lawyer.

  15. Re:This means something by InfiniteWisdom · · Score: 5, Funny

    I usually wear jeans, shorts, or sandals

    You wear sandals as a substitute for jeans or shorts? I really do think your office needs to tighten up its dress code a wee bit.

  16. Not Nazi-America After All? by Mulletproof · · Score: 3, Funny

    "In a victory today for the ACLU, (and many Slashdotters I presume) the section of the Patriot Act which gives power to the FBI to demand confidential financial records from companies as part of terrorist investigations has been ruled unconstitutional by a U.S. District Judge. Victor Marreo, the District Judge who made this ruling, states that the provision of the Patriot Act in question 'effectively bars or substantially deters any judicial challenge.'"

    Now half you people actually shouldn't be posting in this thread, given how you've been incessantly bitching on how this is the Patriot Act was the beginning of Imperial America, how the system is broken beyond repair, etc, etc, etc. I know it's hard to swallow, but here's a lesson made painfully obvious by this story: THE SYSTEM WORKS. Here's another fact for you-- The founding fathers were obviously more itelligent than you give them credit for. The specifically designed a government around the concept of paranoia, a thought that is ofter lost among the blithering on how their ideas are too antiquated for our time when the first hint of turbulent weather blows our way. Because they were wiser than most of you, extremes such as these always manage to even out; see McCarthyism, Japanese camps in WW2, and any number of other "the sky is falling!" events that this country has somehow survived.

    If I could reach past my last 25 posts, you'd be in for a nice, ripe "I told you so."

    --
    You need a FREE iPod Nano
  17. Re:This means something by Mad_Rain · · Score: 2, Funny

    I usually wear jeans, shorts, or sandals

    You wear sandals as a substitute for jeans or shorts? I really do think your office needs to tighten up its dress code a wee bit.

     Have you ever considered becoming a lawyer? If you can spot those pesky "or" "and" differences that quickly, you could make a killing. ;)

    --
    "What do you think?" "I think 'What, do you think?!'"
  18. Re:This means nothing - Thanks for the advice! by jazzmanjac · · Score: 5, Funny
    ... I hope anyone reading this thread will remember how dangerous it is to get a legal education on Slashdot.

    (Poster then continues on to educate Slashdot readers on the "real" legal facts...)

    Thanks for your legal advice!

    --
    Some cats swing, and others don't. Don't you be the kind that won't.
  19. Re:This means nothing by Reteo+Varala · · Score: 4, Funny

    You whelps knock it off? I'm trying to... uh...

    What was I saying?

    Doesn't matter, I'm going to sleeee......zzzzzzzzzzz

    --
    The Penguin Producer