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Declan,

I ignored the first two points because I don't think they're that important. These "warrantless searches" are emergency orders that have to be followed by a court order in 48 hours. Sometimes courts are closed and the cops need data right away. Tuesday evening would be a good example. This is not some out-of-control police authority.

This is TOTALLY and example of out-of-control police authority. Courts are open 24 jours a day for the purposes of abtaining warrants, or for other emergencies - in EVERY court in the United States. Doubt it? Go to any courthouse where there is a real judge (not a local "magistrate" or equiv), and ask for a copy of the "Local Rules of Court". -- Yours, J.A. Terranson sysadmin@mfn.org If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place... --------------------------------------------------------------------

J.A. Terranson, measl@mfn.org, or some impostor wrote:

This is TOTALLY and example of out-of-control police authority. Courts are open 24 jours a day for the purposes of abtaining warrants, or for other emergencies - in EVERY court in the United States. Doubt it? Go to any courthouse where there is a real judge (not a local "magistrate" or equiv), and ask for a copy of the "Local Rules of Court".

Hear, hear! That's particularly true for Feds pursuing terrorists - there are enough Federal judges, either regular or FISA Star Chamber types, that any cop who's doing something other than hot pursuit can get a warrant any time they need to - and if Congress doesn't think this is the case, the solution is not to drop the Constitution, it's to hire some extra judges to work nights, and give them an internet connection to keep busy on slow nights. What's much harder to do in real time is give the judge enough real evidence for more than a rubber-stamp review. Even that's better than nothing, because it keeps the cops maintaining some pretense of respect for law and creates accounting records of the warrants, but it's likely to be pretty shoddy.