Judge won't drop AT&T eavesdropping lawsuit

[kpete]

Judge won't drop AT&T eavesdropping lawsuit
Jul 20, 3:13 PM (ET)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A federal judge declined motions on Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit against AT&T alleging the firm illegally allowed the U.S. government to monitor phone conversations and e-mail communications.

AT&T asked the court in late April to dismiss the case, and two weeks later the U.S. government also asked the federal judge to dismiss it because of the secrecy of the issue.

In a 72-page ruling on Thursday, Judge Vaughn Walker rejected that filing in a case that has raised further attention to the domestic spying program acknowledged by President George W. Bush.

"The very subject matter of this action is hardly a secret," the judge wrote. "Public disclosures by the government and AT&T indicate that AT&T is assisting the government to implement some kind of surveillance program."


http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060720/2006-07-20T191315Z_01_N20435292_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-SECURITY-ATT-DC.html

[originalpckelly]

1. One word:

:woohoo:

[unpossibles]

3. is that really one word...?

:D

[rocktivity]

4. That's right, Originalpckelly--cue the Vonage theme!

And what's all this nonsense about the program being "too secret"? How "secret" it is has nothing to do with how legal it is--unless, of course, they KNOW it's illegal!

:woohoo:
rocknation

[babylonsister]

2. Good for Judge Walker! David vs. the Goliaths!

:applause:

[Jara sang]

5. Telecom companies complicity in eavesdropping has been on going.

Read The Puzzle Palace by Jame Bamford. They were doing this back in the 50's and have been doing it ever since.

[me b zola]

6. Hoot!

This is good news. I would like to hear more details from the 72 page ruling.

Funny, I haven't heard Wolf mention this yet :freak:

[kpete]

7. This is huge news

and not one word from Wolf...

[me b zola]

8. Why doesn't this thread have 5 votes yet?

Let's put this on the greatest page! :bounce:

[Rex]

9. The Law of the Land still stands!

Yes!

[Pacifist Patriot]

10. For the record - RE: Judge Walker

He was appointed by Shrub's daddy. Is considered biased against environmentalists and is known to be an "independent conservative."

Any cries of "activist judges" or "damned Clinton appointees" can be refuted quite swiftly.