John Schwartz reports: Sean Conway was steamed at a Fort Lauderdale judge, so he did what millions of angry people do these days: he blogged about her, saying she was an “Evil, Unfair Witch.” But Mr. Conway is a lawyer. And unlike millions of other online hotheads, he found himself hauled up before the Florida…
Category: U.S.
Wiretapping saved lives
Controversial secret wiretapping activities launched by former President George Bush following 9/11 stirred understandable privacy concerns. But they also provided vital evidence for the arrest and recent conviction of three British Muslims in a plot to destroy at least seven and as many as 18 trans-Atlantic airliners in the summer of 2006. This case demonstrates…
Jailhouse calls are not private, SJC rules
Shelly Murphy reports from Massachusetts: In a 4-to-3 decision that could have a sweeping impact on grand jury investigations and prisoner privacy, the state’s highest court ruled yesterday that prosecutors may subpoena recordings of telephone calls made from jail by inmates and people who are being held while awaiting trial. Rejecting contentions that the subpoenas…
FOI birth date battle reaches Texas Supreme Court
A fight about whether the birth dates of about 145,000 state workers are public record reached the Texas Supreme Court on Thursday, with a newspaper and the state attorney general pushing for their release. Standing in their way is Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, who argues releasing birth dates could lead to identity theft. The case…