About Friggin' Time...

Image courtesy:
http://www.aclu.org/national-security-technology-and-liberty/national-security-letters

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=271838

Federal Judge finds unconstitutional the National Security Letter non-disclosure provisions of the Patriot Act

Posted By: MrFusion
Date: Friday, 15-Mar-2013 19:19:49
I suppose a higher court will reverse this, but even an occasional glimmer of judicial sanity is welcome...
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Gagging recipients of National Security Letters found unconstitutional
Ruling against key Patriot Act provision a setback for the FBI.
by Timothy B. Lee - Mar 15 2013

A California federal judge has struck down a key provision of the law governing National Security Letters (NSLs), controversial government subpoenas whose use was expanded by the Patriot Act. Under current law, the recipient of an NSL can be legally prohibited from disclosing not only the contents of the request but the fact that he received a request at all. That, ruled Judge Susan Illston on Thursday, was inconsistent with the First Amendment.

The ruling is a setback for the FBI, which issues tens of thousands of NSLs every year. Judge Illston has given the government 90 days to appeal before it takes effect.

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http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/gagging-recipients-of-national-security-letters-found-unconstitutional/