A federal judge in
Washington ruled Monday that the government’s phone records collection program
is likely unconstitutional, setting up a major legal hurdle for the Obama
administration, which is desperately trying to preserve the intelligence
gathering tool.
The decision is ground-breaking, marking the first time a court has ruled
against the program and setting up a fascinating constitutional dispute within
the federal courts themselves.
“I cannot imagine a more
‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary invasion’ than this systematic and high-tech
collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen,”
Judge Richard J.
Leon wrote in a 68-page opinion. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that
degree of privacy’ that the Founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment.”
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