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Fiona Tang writes in ACLU FOIA Seeks Information About How Government Launders Evidence:
Today the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking records related to "parallel construction," the government's practice of falsifying a trail of evidence in order to conceal controversial investigative techniques from the courts and the public.
Under parallel construction, instead of disclosing how its investigation actually took place, the government presents a sanitized version of events. The practice allows the government to evade legal challenges to the use of such techniques, and also to keep the very existence of such techniques a secret. Recent news reports have shown that parallel construction might be far more common than we'd like to think, so we've asked the government to provide any records it has documenting the practice.
... parallel construction has been used to cover up some of the most notorious surveillance techniques in the past decade. It initially captured the public's attention in August 2013, when Reuters published an article scrutinizing the elusive Drug Enforcement Administration Special Operations Division's use of the practice. Parallel construction received renewed attention this past May, when a non-disclosure agreement between the FBI and the Oklahoma City Police Department was released through a state records request. The non-disclosure agreement governs the use of cell site simulators—colloquially known as "stingrays"—and requires that the Oklahoma City Police Department use the technology for "lead purposes only," further explaining that the agency must "use additional and independent investigative means and methods . . . that would be admissible at trial" in lieu of disclosing to the defendant the fact that a stingray device was used.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 19 2016, @08:11PM
Well, it started off boring and slow...
with ACLU trying to bullshit everyone
with a bunch of smart talk.
That part of the trial sucked.
But then, the chief"J"
just went off.
He said, "Man, whatever.
The guy's guilty as shit.
We all know that. "
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday July 19 2016, @09:30PM
It's a quote from Idiocracy, and rather apropos really.
Trying to sue the government to get them to declare parallel construction illegal---you know, the activity they do to get around doing illegal things already---has a kind of bitter irony to it.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Wednesday July 20 2016, @12:37AM
Well, the FOIA is just trying to get them to admit how they do it. Not quite as unreasonable.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday July 20 2016, @12:49AM
Living in Idiocracy might not be so bad.... except that we don't actually have ButtFuckers, nor can we go family style on a hooker and a bucket of wings. I'd settle for gladiator events sponsored by Camacho myself. Fuck, I'd vote for Camacho today!
In case anybody wants to write that in this fall:
Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho
!Camacho/Frito 2016!
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday July 20 2016, @02:59PM
Beef Supreme vs. The Dildozer! One night only!
Coming November 2016.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"