Govt. chose ‘sympathetic’ judge over NSA
A former Pentagon official says the Administration of US President Barack Obama chose a Å“more sympathetic judge” over the NSA scandal case a week after another judge ruled that countryâ„¢s controversial spying program likely violates the US Constitution’s ban on unreasonable search.
Å“It is predictable that two federal district courts come to absolutely opposite decision over the US spying issue,” said Michael Maloof while adding that Å“Clearly the federal government went to a federal judge that is a little more sympathetic to their point of view.”
As many Americans are angry about the National Security Agency’s spying program which collects millions of Americans’ telephone records, US District Judge William Pauley of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the massive data collection program is legal because it is helping Washington to combat terrorism.
The ruling came week after US District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C. ruled the opposite. The second ruling also comes after a federal investigation indicated that the controversial surveillance program did not stop even one terrorist plot.
Maloof said that now the NSA case would have to go US Supreme Court because two federal judges in two different parts of the country reached opposite decisions.
Å“Nothing is done to change anything with respect to NSAâ„¢s activities until all the appeals process has been exhausted,” he said.s
Maloof added the the fundamental issue over the NSA espionage activities is whether they violate the Fourth Amendment in US Constitution or not.
Å“Everybody agrees that the security is essential but the extent of intrusion into the lives of American citizens is the question under the Fourth Amendment and thatâ„¢s what has to be reconciled ultimately by the US Supreme Court.”
DT/DT
Source: Press TV