ACLU Drops Patriot Act Challenge

AP ^ | 10/28/06 | JIM IRWIN

[Valin]

DETROIT (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday dropped a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the USA Patriot Act. The ACLU said it was withdrawing the lawsuit filed more than three years ago because of ``improvements to the law.'' The Justice Department argued last month that amendments approved by Congress in March 2006 had corrected any constitutional flaws in the Patriot Act. "While the reauthorized Patriot Act is far from perfect, we succeeded in stemming the damage from some of the Bush administration's most reckless policies," Ann Beeson, associate legal director of the ACLU in New York, said in a written statement.

The lawsuit, filed in July 2003 on behalf of the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor and five other nonprofit groups, was the first legal challenge to Section 215, the part of the Patriot Act that lets federal agents obtain such things as library records and medical information. The ACLU said the revisions allow people receiving demands for records to consult with a lawyer and challenge the demands in court.

The Justice Department, which first asked that the lawsuit be dismissed in December 2003, said it was pleased by the ACLU's action, which was contained in a one-paragraph notice filed with U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood in Detroit. "We ... reiterate that the Patriot Act is a legitimate and important tool that has better helped law enforcement fight terrorism while simultaneously protecting our valued civil liberties," Justice spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said.

The ACLU argued that Section 215, which allows the FBI access to any ``tangible things'' such as books and documents through an order from a secret court, does not require investigators to show probable cause. It asked that the Justice Department be barred from using the provision. Hood ruled on Oct. 3 that the ACLU's clients had shown they were harmed by the anti-terrorism law adopted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that the lawsuit could proceed. But the ruling came after the law had been amended, prompting the ACLU to drop its case.

The ACLU said it would continue to monitor how the government applied Section 215 and would remain ready to defend any individual, business or organization receiving demands for information under the provision. The group also said it is continuing its legal fight against a more frequently used provision of the Patriot Act that authorizes national security letters. Such letters allow the executive branch of government to obtain records about people in terrorism and espionage investigations without a judge's approval or a grand jury subpoena.

[RWB Patriot]

Unless, Heaven forbid, the RATS win, then the ACLU will be sueing to make the Patriot Act into what they claim they're trying to prevent it from being; a repressive group of laws fit for Nazi Germany.

[OldFriend]

Maybe the ba$tard$ are running out of money! I hope I hope I hope.

[tomnbeverly]

Victory for America.. I will expect to see this front page New York Times on Monday.... hahahaha Oh I forgot I'm in Liberal America....

Prepare for bad times ahead my friends.

[Sacajaweau]

The ACLU is now "angering" people. I believe it is government funded and IIRC, there was talk of taking away the funding.

[CottShop]

Absolutely- there is a bill that if it goes through will cripple the ACLU once and for all- it will require both parties to pay their own way if they file lawsuits instead of the current system where the loser pays both lawyer fees. You can find out more about the bill over at stoptheaclu.com The ACLU maggots won't be able to blackmail smaller companies any longer by threatening lawsuits knowing that the companies will lose and have to pay big bucks-

Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...

[GOPologist]

I like to think that ACLU = ALL COMMUNISTS LOUSY UNION

[FreeReign]

...there is a bill that if it goes through will cripple the ACLU once and for all- it will require both parties to pay their own way if they file lawsuits instead of the current system where the loser pays both lawyer fees. You can find out more about the bill over at stoptheaclu.com The ACLU maggots won't be able to blackmail smaller companies any longer by threatening lawsuits knowing that the companies will lose and have to pay big bucks-

It seems to me that requiring the loser to pay the costs of a lawsuit is a better way to stop the ACLU from filing nonsense lawsuits.

[MSM Hater]

DING DING DING DING DING....we have a winner....

Just stating the obvious!

[VictoryGal]

So, the beast can be bested! :-)

[Rockitz]

Claiming victory while crawling away in defeat- typical leftist propaganda.

[Irish Eyes]

The lawsuit, filed in July 2003 on behalf of the Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor and five other nonprofit groups...

That figures. I would like to see the names of the other nonprofit groups.

I would think that it would be public record somewhere.

[Ptarmigan]

Why waste their time? They would lose.

[gogeo]

The lawsuit is a political stunt. They have calculated that the RATs will be in power.

[CottShop]

It should have been however the ACLU exploited this loophole- the law was originally meant to help people who didn't have a lot of money to file lawsuits against big money companies if they felt they could win- However, the ACLU has high powered lawyers- teams of them- and the general public gets low pay lawyers because they can't afford the better ones & end up losing in court- The ACLU then reaps the rewards, gets their lawyers paid for, then sues the companies, and gets that money too- they are a despicable blackmailing organization that has leeched off the taxpayers for far too long now.

Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...

[Paige]

The GOVT has made them USE an immense amount of their funding. The ACLU is running low on funds. They haven't won a lawsuit lately in which the local or state govt. has to pay them once they win. Thus, they are broke.

[Defender2]

#27. The acronym You came up with is Very Good and right on the money!!!!

D2

[Defender2]

#46. Another Good Acronym!!!!

D2

[DoughtyOne]

LOL

[Jay777]

Much more at Stop The ACLU!

[fantom]

As with other enemies of the US , find the source of major funding and cripple it.