F.B.I. Says Records Demands Are Curbed

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/washington/06fbi.html?sq=- Hide quoted text -

---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Thu, Mar 6, 2008 at 9:34 AMSubject: F.B.I. Says Records Demands Are CurbedTo: letters@nytimes.com


Our Justice department now confirms that the constitutional guarantee against unreasonable search was trampled in the cases of thousands of Americans. Robert Mueller III assures us that "reforms we now have in place" protect us from repeats of such infractions, but demurs to tell us who suffered these outrages. I have not seen the details of these "reforms", but--because of their ad hoc nature--I am sure that they cannot satisfy traditional definitions of "due process". We would be better served by requiring a judicial warrant for each such wiretap, as per the FISA statute of 1978. All of this administration's efforts to evade that proper judicial oversight should persuade us that the intent has always be to allow spying on American citizens for partisan purposes. Proper wiretaps on terrorists were already allowed.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549