Category «Courts»

Clinton Administration Did Not Authorize Warrantless Wiretaps

A January 12, 2005 ABC News Nightline interview with former President Clinton clarified information on the use of warrantless wiretaps during his administration. According to Clinton: “My attitude was that once the Congress had spoken on it and given us the tools that we needed, we used it…We used the law. We either went there …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Privacy

Pew Research Report Gauges Public Response to Recent High Profile Washington News

Americans Taking Abramoff, Alito and Domestic Spying in Stride – Democrats Hold Huge Issue Advantage, Released: January 11, 2006 (32 pages, PDF) Summary of findings: “The public has been hardly stirred by the flurry of major Washington news in the early days of 2006. Jack Abramoff’s admission that he bribed members of Congress has sparked …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Privacy

Kennedy Seeks to Clarify Alito’s Statements Relating to Equal Justice

Press release: “Today in his rounds of questioning Judge Alito, Senator Edward M. Kennedy pressed Judge Alito on his commitment to equal justice under the law by raising his membership in a radical anti-women, anti-minority alumni organization [Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP)] and several rulings on key cases involving individual rights.” [press release includes supporting …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Legal Research, Libraries

Transcript of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing for Confirmation of Samuel Alito

Washington Post: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito’s Nomination to the Supreme Court, Part I of II, Courtesy FDCH e-Media, Monday, January 9, 2006; 12:59 PM. Read below the opening statements of the first thirteen senators’ opening statements. The final statements, and Judge Alito’s opening statement, can be found in Part II …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

Senate Hearing on Nomination of Samuel A. Alito , January 9, and 12, 2006

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing on the nomination of Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States for Monday, January 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. in the Senate Hart Office Building Room 216. Chairman Specter will preside. Media Guidelines for the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Legal Research, Privacy

FISA Court Wants Answers From White House on Domestic Surveillance

The Washington Post today reported that the FISA Court judges will be briefed by intelligence officials next week on details regarding post 9/11 authorization of domestic wiretapping. In addition, the article states that only the court’s presiding judge was informed about the program prior to the information becoming public in December 2005. Related references: How …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

Professional Qualifications of Judge Alito Evaluated by ABA and Law Professors

ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary rating of professional qualifications of Samuel A. Alito – January 4, 2006 Also from the ABA: Investigations of Supreme Court Nominees: This is a one-page summary highlighting the special investigative procedures followed by the Committee when evaluating a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ratings of Article III Judicial …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research

U.S. v. Jack Abramoff

From the Talking Points Memo Document Collection: Abramoff Plea to Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, and Tax Evasion, January 3, 2006 (HTML, 13 pages) Abramoff Plea Deal for Conspiracy, Mail Fraud, and Tax Evasion Charges, January 3, 2006 (HTML, 29 pages) And from FindLaw: Plea Agreement, January 4, 2005 (7 pages, PDF) DOJ press release: Former Lobbyist …

Subjects: Congress, Courts, Government Documents