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The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Police Department is fighting a lawsuit to force them to reveal how they use Stingray cell tower-emulating devices:
Since 2005, the department has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on cell-site simulators manufactured by the Harris Corp. in Melbourne, Florida, records show. The devices — with names like StingRay and KingFish — capture cellphone signals.
Cops can use the technology, originally developed for the military, to locate cellphones. Police agencies in other states have revealed in court that StingRays and similar devices have been used to locate suspects, fugitives and victims in criminal investigations.
But privacy activists across the country have begun to question whether law enforcement agencies have used the devices to track people involved in demonstrations in violation of their constitutional rights. They also have concerns the technology scoops up the phone data of innocent citizens and police targets alike.
The Chicago Police Department has also been running a CIA-style black site, according to a recent report by the Guardian.
When the federal government began imprisoning people at Guantanamo in violation of the Constitution, some argued it was the only place, and that there were exceptional, extenuating circumstances. When the network of CIA black sites around the world and its practice of "extraordinary rendition," known to normal people as, "kidnapping," were revealed, some argued it was only for terrorists and other bad guys. When the NSA's mass violations of the Constitution were revealed by the Snowden leaks, some argued that it was for our own protection. Each time, they were justified as defense against the "Other."
Is this Chicago case a harbinger of things to come, that those tools and practices developed to violate the rights of the "Other" elsewhere, are now being applied to "Us", here?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 25 2015, @12:43AM
With a few notable exceptions, and notwithstanding decisions out of the Supreme Court, the US legal system is pretty much compliant to the clauses contained within the Constitution. Any that aren't are either given exceptions or are rapidly struck out as "bad Law".
This has to be a joke. The government routinely ignores the constitution. And why exclude Supreme Court decisions? Because they frequently ignore what the constitution actually says?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by TLA on Wednesday March 25 2015, @01:13AM
I refer specifically to numerous decisions concerning PATRIOT, which the SCOTUS rolls have it repeatedly as being Constitutional. Simply put, I and many others disagree which is why it keeps ending up back in court as a not-settled Constitutional issue.
Excuse me, I think I need to reboot my horse. - NCommander
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 25 2015, @06:09PM
It does not. Don't let your ignorance of the law or legal decisions stand in the way of comprehension. Just because you can recite verbatim the 4th Amendment, just as a bible thumper can recite John 3:16, doesn't mean you understand what the words mean or how they have been interpreted by the courts for 200+ years. Do not be so self-centered to think that anything you disagree with or do not like means that it is illegal or corrupt.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 25 2015, @07:09PM
Certain government agencies, such as the DEA have their sole purpose as violating the constitution. The NSA and DHS seem to be that way now too. Not the whole government, sure, but entire governmental agencies, absolutely.