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This is a guest post by Hugh Handeyside, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU National Security Project, Nathan Freed Wessler, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, and Esha Bhandari, Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. It was originally posted on the ACLU Speak Freely blog.
In September 2017, we, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sued the federal government for its warrantless and suspicionless searches of phones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry.
The government immediately tried to dismiss our case, arguing that the First and Fourth Amendments do not protect against such searches. But the court ruled that our clients — 10 U.S. citizens and one lawful permanent resident whose phones and laptops were searched while returning to the United States — could move forward with their claims.
Since then, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have had to turn over documents and evidence about why and how they conduct warrantless and suspicionless searches of electronic devices at the border. And their officials have had to sit down with us to explain — under oath — their policies and practices governing such warrantless searches.
What we learned is alarming, and we're now back in court with this new evidence asking the judge to skip trial altogether and rule for our clients.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday May 02 2019, @07:59PM (3 children)
"The greatest Evil is when the Good do nothing."
You can be "honest" but still evil. How many "honest" cops look the other way when a fellow officer pockets the wad of cash he just "confiscated" from a drug dealer he just searched? ("Hey, he has a son in college so he can put that money to a better use")
Or what about the "honest cop" that knows his fellow officer will go out and "arrest" some prostitute so he can give her the choice: blow job or jail?
Just look at how cops will close ranks and defend a fellow officer when they shot some fleeing suspect in the back, on video. I remember one case where the officers own bodycam recorded two officers discussing how to justify shooting a guy and getting their stories straight, and THEN calling for an ambulance and helping the guy who was bleeding to death at their feet.
So, belive what you want. In my book there are no "honest cops" currently on any police force. The really honest and good officers, the ones who actually believe in their oath to "Serve and Protect" get weeded out the force quickly. Report a fellow officer for something and suddenly that backup you called for gets delayed in route, or worse.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Thursday May 02 2019, @08:42PM (1 child)
Ugh. Yup.
I keep seeing the "thin blue line" crap all over the place lately...and as far as I'm concerned, supporting that concept is essentially treason by itself. It's supposed to be "We, the people..." not "We, the duly appointed government officials". By promoting that artificial distinction they are undermining the very principles upon which our nation was founded. They are aiding the enemies of our system of government. Might as well be going around saying we ought to rejoin England because the revolution was never legally sanctioned. Goddamn redcoat bastards....
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 03 2019, @01:40AM
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1512 [cornell.edu]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 03 2019, @06:09PM
"honest" cops enforce the unconstitutional drug war and other laws and tactics every day. they look for any un-american state socialist law to kidnap, assault or kill you for. window stickers, precrime traffic laws, forced insurance, unlicensed home remedies, homemade dairy products, what ever the fuck some enemy piece of shit lawmaker parasite has passed with the tacit approve of all the bleating sheople.