Meet The Chief Justice Of America’s Secret Supreme Court (FISA)

Buzzfeed ^ | 7/7/13 | John Stanton

[ruralvoter]

The chief judge of America’s most powerful secret court is a 64-year-old man who has said his path toward the law began in part when he was stopped by police in the early 1960s simply for being black, and who once said he became a lawyer to “make an impact on the quality of life for people of color in this country.”

Reggie Walton is the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, whose 11 members are appointed directly by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Revelations of broad spying by the National Security Agency have drawn unusual attention to the Court, which The New York Times reported Sunday “has created a secret body of law giving the National Security Agency the power to amass vast collections of data.”

[Red Badger]

Secret courts and unknown laws are the hallmark of a totalitarian regime...................

[novemberslady]

whose 11 members are appointed directly by the chief justice of the Supreme Court

yep

[blackdog]

The HNIC has his brass ring. Keep what you win, and destroy what you can't keep.

It's like Zimbabwe or Somalia.

[Nifster]

always good to have a racist in charge.....must make O so proud

[ruralvoter]

There is no proof of that charge. According to Wikipedia, he at was a registered Republican at some point with Reagan and Bush appointments.

[mrsmel]

Yes. Why are they always about what they can do for their own racial group, while a white politician or official would be drummed out of town for wanting to especially help other whites? Only whites are expected to represent all people. For that matter, they’re expected to represent others above whites.

[Uncle Miltie]

The Washington Post reported, “fellow judges and lawyers who appear before him say Walton’s decisions do not appear to be guided by politics but by a tough-on-crime mentality.” Walton is known by local defense attorneys as a “long ball hitter” - a judge willing to impose long sentences in order to deter future crimes.[3] In fall 2005, the judge was driving his wife and daughter to the airport for a vacation when he came across an assailant attacking a cab driver on the side of the road. Walton tackled the assailant and subdued him until police arrived. The D.C. police spokesperson noted in response, “God bless Judge Walton. I surely wouldn’t want to mess with him.”[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Walton

[raybbr]

I repeatedly stated my belief that efforts had to be made in the area of social programs. There was an aversion to social programs among the people in the drug office. They felt that you didn't need to address the problems of jobs or housing or education or the host of other social issues that I thought had to be addressed," Walton said in the 1993 interview.

From the article. I didn't see his pic but I am going to assume he's black. Not sure how he's not a racist.

[ruralvoter]

1991–2001 Appointed by George H. W. Bush as Associate Judge of the Superior Court of DC

2001 - nominated to the federal bench by President George W. Bush

2007 - Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr. appointed him to a seat on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

[novemberslady]

Not elected or appointed by an elected representative of the people.

All of them selected by someone who was selected and who considers himself above everyone.
And a filthy infection of the body politic it is.

No wonder it's so easy for these bitches to overrule the vote of the people.

[novemberslady]

I won't ever forgive you for not making Scalia the Chief Justice.
Who gave you this guy?

[Buckeye McFrog]

Reggie Walton is the presiding judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,

My guess would have been "sixth man off the bench for the Sacramento Kings"

[TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl]

Reggie Walton, where I have heard that name before? Hmmm.

[Nifster]

yeah right....obviously your sarcasm indicator wasn’t in operation. Anytime someone talks about how he hated seeing people being arrested for being black I know exactly where he is coming from. Moreover I see what the FISA courts have done and that further confirms my statement

[wideawake]

Which federal judges are usually elected, novemberslady?

[Terry L Smith]

I ask, again:

“Why do we NEED the NSA, since we already have the CIA?”

Now, a new question ...

“Who is it who keeps the chain in hand for these federal lackeys?”

I believe that these “secret courts” are hemmed in, to looking after ‘foreign intelligence’, as much as the Grizzly bear will only attack errant hikers, and not other types of humans.

[wideawake]

Secret courts and unknown laws are the hallmark of a totalitarian regime

For generations, the US has had secret proceedings of grand juries - entities which have broader power than the FISA court (this court grants search warrants, a grand jury can order arrests and bring charges as well as issue search warrants).

If this is the standard, then the US has always been a "totalitarian regime."

Which laws are "unknown"? The FISA court grants warrants under FISA, which is a very public and well-known law.

[novemberslady]

I’m complaining specifically about this court that enables the government to collect whatever it wants, whenever it wants.

[wideawake]

I’m complaining specifically about this court that enables the government to collect whatever it wants, whenever it wants.

You realize that this court has been around for 35 years, right?

The vast majority of warrants requested in any courtroom are granted.