Government Seeks Dismissal of Spy Suit

The Wired blog 27B Stroke 6 is carrying the news that the US has filed a motion to drop the case the ACLU won in lower court against the government's warrantless wiretapping program. The government's appeal of that ruling will be heard on Wednesday, January 31 in front of the Sixth Circuit court of appeals. The feds argue that the case is now moot because they are now obtaining warrants from the FISA court, and furthermore President Bush did not renew the warrantless program. Turns out there's a Supreme Court precedent saying that if you were doing something illegal, get taken to court, and then stop the illegal activity, you're not off the hook. The feds argue in their petition that this precedent does not apply to them. Here is the government's filing (PDF).

Comments

Government by Weasels

[hachete]

and a single stoat.

I wish I were joking.

Re:Gotta remember this

[kevin lyda]

As a New York native I find that comment both funny and enraging.

WTF is this numbnut still doing in office? Why?

Re:Gotta remember this

[Tom]

Riiiight.... and the rest of the world is perfect. I said that where?

Look, your leader is a psychopath. The fact that others aren't much better doesn't change it, doesn't make it any less horrible, and should not take attention away from the fact that yes, there might be 50 criminally insane heads of state around the world, but you can do something about this one.

another motto

[morcheeba]

I nominate "Original storytelling, updated three times a week." for Bush's assertion of WMDs in Iraq, imminent threats to the US from Iraq, and a 9/11-Iraq connection (which is still heard about 3 times a week).