Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

You May Indeed Have Rights

by Chris
Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 01:50:31 PM EST

Shocking, I know. This is very far from over, but here is some very good news.

DETROIT -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency's program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

"Plaintiffs have prevailed, and the public interest is clear, in this matter. It is the upholding of our Constitution," Taylor wrote in her 43-page opinion.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of journalists, scholars and lawyers who say the program has made it difficult for them to do their jobs. They believe many of their overseas contacts are likely targets of the program, which involves secretly listening to conversations between people in the U.S. and people in other countries.

You can read the injunction here. News so good, that it may even be panda worthy.

Even Su Lin is happy about it. As a side note, if you aren't already a member, think about joining the ACLU. It's a great organization and being a card carrying member is fun way to piss off wingnuts everywhere.

By the way, does anybody want to place a bet on how long it will take for 10 pundits to declare that this ruling is really a win for the Bush administration because it will help the Republicans in November? Hours? Minutes? Surely not days. Perhaps it has already happened?

You May Indeed Have Rights | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Chris, (4.00 / 2)

you made my day both with the article and the picture, thanks!

We are condemned to kill time, thus we die bit by bit - Octavio Paz / Latino Político

by Man Eegee (man.eegee at gmail dot com) on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 01:53:54 PM EST

Re: You May Indeed Have Rights (4.00 / 3)

Thanks for the great news (and the panda)! 'Bout time.

"I never trust people who don't laugh." Maya Angelou, March 5, 2009

by Indianadem on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 01:58:31 PM EST

Re: You May Indeed Have Rights (4.00 / 3)

This judgement must have caused consternation and even panda-monium among the members of the ruling cabal.

If you want things to get better, be prepared to deal with change.

by Kahli on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 02:11:17 PM EST

Re: You May Indeed Have Rights (4.00 / 3)

I'm really glad this case FINALLY shows there is some limit to what they can claim under the State Secrets Act.

Tengo un sueño.

by ejmw (ewitham (at) umich (dot) edu) on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 02:31:10 PM EST

This is good news -- excellent, in fact -- but... (4.00 / 4)

Now what?

I'm sure the Misadministration will not let this go unchallenged. Is it going to the Supreme Court?

And is the Gummint going to pay any attention to it? I certainly hope so.

In any case thank you, Judge Taylor!

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 03:02:08 PM EST

Re: This is good news -- excellent, in fact -- but (4.00 / 3)

They'll challenge it and ignore it and challenge it some more.

by Chris on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 03:14:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: This is good news -- excellent, in fact -- but (4.00 / 2)

Well, is there any way they can put teeth into the ruling? Like maybe setting an army of giant robot ninja pandas loose on anyone who continues to ignore the ruling?

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 04:04:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: This is good news -- excellent, in fact -- but (4.00 / 4)

The Supreme Court told them to give the Guantanomo detainees real trials (instead of the show trials they had planned) and they still haven't complied with that order. What makes you think they give a rat's ass about the rule of law or what some lowly district court has to say about the Constitution, anyway? Nothing we've seen would lead us to that conclusion.

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. Franklin D. Roosevelt

by Steven D on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 04:23:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: This is good news -- excellent, in fact -- but (none / 1)

The problem with using our army of giant robot ninja pandas is that while they've been party to some of the post Tiananmen Square reforms, those reforms deal almost solely with economics rather than the human rights. While the giant robot ninja pandas may be able to negotiate a cut rate contract for Lexan polycarbonate, they might, just as easily, wind up breaking your legs and burning your village to the ground if you refuse the going rate for a 16 hour work day.

by Chris on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 04:50:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You May Indeed Have Rights (4.00 / 3)

A black judge from Detroit.

Hmmmm...

Betcha she's talked to John Conyers some.

Here.

In 1979, Anna Diggs Taylor became the first black woman judge to be appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Nineteen years later, she became the first black woman Chief Judge for that circuit as well.1

Taylor had great difficulty obtaining her first job as an attorney for the Office of Solicitor for the U.S. Department of Labor, despite graduating form the prestigious Yale Law School in 1957. Very few opportunities existed for a black woman in law at this time. In 1961, Taylor relocated from the Washington D.C. area to Detroit, Michigan. Here she was involved in both public and private practice until her appointment to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, on which she continues to serve. Taylor's position has enabled her to open doors for other women and minorities to pursue and achieve their dreams. She strives for gender and racial equality in the law and currently serves on the Joint Steering Committee of the Gender and Racial Ethnic Fairness Task Forces for the Sixth Circuit.

Her success did not come easy. Taylor faced discrimination on account of her race and her sex throughout her legal career. Yet, she persevered in her uphill struggle against prejudice. Anna Diggs Taylor set a standard of excellence for the abilities and performance of women in law.

Detroit.

The capitol of the New America?

Let us pray.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

by Arthur Gilroy (arthurgilroy<at>earthlink.net) on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 05:00:28 PM EST

Re: You May Indeed Have Rights (none / 1)

Must have been appointed by Jimmy Carter then, good.

"I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man.'" R. Robertson.

by NearlyNormal on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 09:19:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Judge Diggs-Taylor (none / 0)

Anna Diggs Taylor is a great lady. She's a person of great accomplishment, having had to fight race and gender discrimination from the first day of her legal education & career. She's one of those people the Bush administration would really really like to replace on the federal bench. I'm sure they are hoping that she will retire before Bush leaves office (she's in her 70's.)

by Kidspeak on Thu Aug 17th, 2006 at 10:03:34 PM EST

You May Indeed Have Rights | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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