Judge threatens sanctions over gov't wiretapping

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Mercury News

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge on Friday threatened to severely sanction the Obama Administration for withholding a top secret document he ordered given to lawyers suing the government over its warrantless wiretapping program.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco ordered Justice Department lawyers to court on June 3 to tell him why he shouldn't award unspecified damages to the now-defunct Oregon arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation. The group alleges that government officials eavesdropped on their telephone calls without court authorization.

The National Security Agency has also refused the judge's previous orders to provide security clearances to two of the charity's lawyers so they can view the top secret document.

The judge had issued a written order on Jan. 5 and then reinforced it during a hearing later that month. He also barred the prosecutors from appealing the order, but they asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to step in anyway. The appeals court refused to hear the case.

On May 15, government lawyers told Walker they would refuse to comply with his order.



Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12430040

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snip

The charity's officer, Soliman al-Buthi, claims he uncovered the alleged wiretapping when a Treasury Department official accidentally turned over a top secret call log to Al-Haramain's lawyers.

On the web:

Marcy:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/05/22/breaking-judge-walker-gets-ready-to-penalize-the-government-in-al-haramain/#comments

"Judge Walker appears to have lost his patience with the government's obstinance in al-Haramain.

He just gave the government one week to explain why he shouldn't just rule in al-Haramain's favor and impose penalties."

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's Order:

http://static1.firedoglake.com/28/files//2009/05/090522-order-to-show-cause.pdf

[Ian David]

1. They didn't say SHIT about it when Bush was in charge. n/t

[KoKo]

4. That's because Bush was a Dictator...we got rid of him...Obama will respect the Law

of the Land. He is not a Dictator.

[No Elephants]

12. Try reading the OP.

[No Elephants]

11. Try reading the OP.

[clear eye]

2. Returning to Constitutional rule--better late than never n/t

[No Elephants]

13. Try reading the OP.

[clear eye]

16. It said a court is demanding the Administration honor the Constitution.

What were you reading?

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Transparency in Government

We can add that to the list.

I really feel hoodwinked.

[No Elephants]

14. I added it to the list when Obama continued Bush's opposition to an FOIA request. This is only

confirmation.

[pleah]

5. Hey, BlueJessamine! No one noticed you #666 post!

:evilgrin:


K&R I like this Judge.

[BlueJessamine]

7. The Number of the Beast!?! . . . . how wicked!

Or was it a way of speaking in code?

wiki:

The Number of the Beast is a concept from the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Christian Bible, relating to the figure of "The Beast". The number is 666 in most manuscripts of the New Testament, and in modern translations and critical editions of the Greek text. Although Irenaeus (second century) reported several scribal errors of the number, there is still doubt by some theologians about the original reading, as some recently discovered third century early manuscripts of Revelation read 616. This topic is a source of contention for many church groups and theologians.<1> Some scholars contend that the number 666 is a code for the Roman Emperor Nero,....

The King James translates:<5>

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Scholars such as Dr. Ellen Aitken, Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University, have speculated that the reference to this passage was a way of speaking in code about then contemporary figures whom it would have been politically dangerous to criticize openly.

Many scholars believe that 666 refers to a Roman Emperor such as Nero<9> (whose name, written in Aramaic can be valued at 666, using the Hebrew numerology of gematria), a manner of speaking against the emperor without the Roman authorities knowing.

:hi:


I'll bet that the gov't wishes their top secret wiretapping call log had been in code! :popcorn::evilgrin:

[pleah]

8. Cool!

Thanks for the reminder about the 666 possibly being a code. I had forgotten.


:hi:

[BlueJessamine]

9. your welcome.

:fistbump:

[jsamuel]

6. Executive to Judicial: "Our branch is more powerful than yours, so shut up!"

[chill_wind]

10. The Honorable Judge Walker rocks on! May he and the quaint rule of law prevail.

Whole books will be written about these landmark cases and this tough, gritty,uncomprimised judge one day. I never casually toss around the label "American hero", but for some time now, he has continued to be one of mine.

:applause:

K & R.

[BlueJessamine]

15. ....

:fistbump:

[The Second Stone]

17. The plan

I imagine that the DOJ will let the government's default be taken rather than produce the documents.