Reauthorization of expiring PATRIOT Act provisions necessary to stop terror plots Commentary
Reauthorization of expiring PATRIOT Act provisions necessary to stop terror plots
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Stewart Baker [Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP]: "The US Senate Judiciary Committee's decision to reauthorize three provisions of the USA Patriot Act until 2013 is prudent. The parts of the Act set to expire this year include provisions that allow federal authorities to compel production of business, medical and library records, to conduct "roving" wiretaps, and to designate suspects as "lone wolf" agents of foreign powers.

Notwithstanding its demonization by opponents, the USA PATRIOT Act was a relatively modest set of changes that cleaned up and consolidated antiterrorism authorities. It allowed federal agencies to share information they were in large part already authorized to obtain. The Obama Administration deserves credit for recognizing the reality that these are authorities it will need to investigate and thwart terrorist plots. Unfortunately, it's being asked to accept new restrictions as part of the process, and some of those restrictions are dangerous.

Senator Feingold in particular has introduced – and the Senate Judiciary has approved – an amendment that puts dangerous limits on information sharing. It would require the FBI to "prohibit the dissemination…of nonpublicly available information" derived from national security letters. While the amendment allows exceptions to accommodate "the need to disseminate foreign intelligence" the effect of this amendment is almost certain to be a new wall between the FBI and other agencies — just the kind of thing that served us so poorly in the run-up to 9/11."

Opinions expressed in JURIST Commentary are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JURIST's editors, staff, donors or the University of Pittsburgh.
THIS DAY @ LAW

US suffragists formed Equal Rights Party, named Presidential candidate

On September 20, 1884, a group of American suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class." Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party. The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.

Catholic Church tries Galileo for heresy

On September 20, 1633, the Roman Catholic Church tried Galileo Galilei on charges of heresy. Galileo was brought before the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith for his assertion that the Earth orbits the Sun. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life under house arrest. Read documents from the trial of Galileo.

Suffragists formed Equal Rights Party, named Presidential candidate

On September 20, 1884, a group of suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, dedicated to "equal and exact justice to every class of our citizens, without distinction of color, sex, or nationality" and in support of the proposition that "the laws of the several states be so amended that women will be recognized as voters, and their property-rights made equal with that of the male population, to the end that they may become self-supporting - rather than a dependent class."
Read the full text of the first platform of the Equal Rights Party.

The party immediately nominated Mrs. Belva Lockwood for US President and Marietta Snow for Vice-President. Grover Cleveland won that election, but Lockwood was included in a number of presidential primaries, and is recorded to have won some 4149 votes from the male voters of the time.