Wiretaps in US Jump 19 Percent in 2004 (Not including terror-related taps)

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBDWWL438E.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of secret court-authorized wiretaps across the country surged by 19 percent last year, according to court records which also showed that not a single application was denied.

State and federal judges approved 1,710 applications for wiretaps of wire, oral or electronic communications last year, and four states - New York, California, New Jersey and Florida - accounted for three out of every four surveillance orders, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. That agency is required to collect the figures and report them to Congress.

The numbers, released Thursday, do not include court orders for terror-related investigations under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which reached a record 1,754 warrants last year, according to the Justice Department.

In non-terrorist criminal investigations, federally-approved wiretaps increased 26 percent in a year, to 730 applications, while state judges approved 930 wiretaps, an increase of 13 percent.

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[rodeodance]

1. and many believed them when they said these were for terroist only

[gWbush is Mabus]

2. i bet 90% of them are taps on democrats