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Supreme Court Won't Hear ACLU Wiretap Case

Posted by kdawson on from the standing-knee-deep-in-paradox dept.

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The US Supreme Court refused without comment the ACLU's appeal of a lower court ruling that prevented them from suing over the government's warrantless TSP program. The problem was a Catch-22: they lack legal 'standing' to sue over it because they can't prove that they were suspected terrorists, but neither can they find out who was actually suspected, because this is a matter of national security." Update: 02/20 00:17 GMT by KD : Removed an incorrect statement after a reader pointed out that, with the expiration of the Protect America Act this weekend, foreign surveillance will revert to oversight by the FISA court.

14 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. In other words by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you can sue us, we'll let you know, unless we consider that to be a secret.

  2. Re:Must be a terrorist to challenge the law? by milsoRgen · · Score: 3, Funny

    Let me get this straight - we will have to rely on a suspected terrorist to sue for this to go forward? That shouldn't worry you at all, what our government considers a terrorist is so broad I don't think we would have to rely on your atypical camel-riding-cave-dweller to move this forward. Just someone who get the label by our dangerous and overzealous government.
    --
    I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
  3. Too many Yoda references by spun · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Slashdot posters make.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  4. Re:Those of us with something to hide... by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'll admit up front: I have things to hide.

    Oooh, are you into BBW too?

    --
    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  5. The Argument Sketch by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well?
    Well what?
    You're listening to my phone calls and it's not a secret.
    I told you, you're not allowed to sue me unless you know my secret.
    But I do!
    No you don't.
    I DO!
    No you don't.
    Look, I don't want you spying on me.
    Well, that's a secret.
    Aha. If it's a secret, I must be a terrorist, so it's not a secret anymore! I got you!
    No you haven't.
    Yes I have. If it's an official government secret that you're spying on me, I must be a terrorist.
    Not necessarily. I could be listening to your phone calls in my spare time.

  6. Re:Those of us with something to hide... by garett_spencley · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I'll admit up front: I have things to hide. Dirty little secrets that are none of your business, and that the government doesn't need to know. Things that are embarrassing, things that could be used to damage my reputation, nothing particularly dangerous, but stuff that should be between me, myself, and I, and no one else."

    Like what ?

  7. Evidence that Slashdot has become self-aware by Goobermunch · · Score: 2, Funny

    This was the quote at the bottom of the page as I read this article:

    "paranoia, n.: A healthy understanding of the way the universe works."

    --AC

  8. Re:Those of us with something to hide... by ArcherB · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sure the vast majority of Britons were unaffected by illegal search and seizure by British authorities, but the American founding fathers thought it was wrong to do to anyone under any circumstance. Are you calling our founding fathers terrorists, comrade? No. Our founding fathers didn't think that wiretapping was important enough to be included. Just like they didn't include any rights for citizens traveling via airplane.

    --
    There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
  9. Re:Those of us with something to hide... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    They were, they overthrew england... er waitaminute

  10. Get it out in the open! by supercrisp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let's get those skeletons out of the closet. I'll start. I masturbate. I have soiled myself on occasion. And I frequently inhaled in the presence of pot. I drank before I was 21, and I often exceed the speed limit. I regularly roll through a stop sign near my house. And I am greedy when it comes to sweets. Now they've got nothing on me. See how good it makes you..... Wait a minute, someone's at the door, brb.

  11. And then they could post it on Wikileaks... by PRMan · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh, wait...

    --
    Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
  12. I forgot that spying is in the constitution by Bryansix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh wait, it's not? Darn.

  13. Re:Those of us with something to hide... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Just like they didn't include any rights for citizens traveling via airplane.

    And so the invention of airplanes automagically stripped rights endowed by the Creator from men who used them? I always thought those dag-blasted things were an abomination, why, if God had intended for humans to fly, he'd have given us wings!

  14. Re:Far too much power by rpillala · · Score: 2, Funny

    I eagerly await the outcome of Congress' investigation into this secret program.

    --
    When the axe came to the forest, the trees said, "Look out - the handle was once one of us."