justice department
Report: Justice Department Convenes Forum to Expand Police Use of Drones with Zero Concern for Privacy Implications
Last week, the US Department of Justice issued a press release announcing the start of a forum designed to help law enforcement agencies across the country expand their use of drones. The release, which took the form of a … Read more »
Justice Department Steps Up Assault on Press Freedom with Records Request Into New York Times Journalist
A new article from the New York Times reports that the Department of Justice sought, and was granted, communications records for a journalist as part of an investigation into a former Senate Intelligence Committee staffer who allegedly acted as a … Read more »
First of 194 Defendants in J20 Prosecution, Including Journalist, Found Not Guilty
A new piece from The Intercept reports that a jury in Washington DC has found the first six defendants in the federal prosecution of 194 Disrupt J20 protesters not guilty on all charges. The charges, which included an array of … Read more »
FBI Signals Imminent New Push to Fatally Compromise Encryption
According to a new article from Ars Technica, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has reaffirmed his support for the Department of Justice’s renewed push to compel tech companies to weaken the encryption they deploy in their commercially available devices, services, … Read more »
Opinion: For Sun-Times Editorial Board, No Warrant, No Surveillance, No Exceptions
This week the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board took a firm stance against warrantless surveillance against American citizens, specifically that which is tolerated under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The legislation, which is under consideration for … Read more »
Justice Department Opens Felony Prosecution Against Inauguration Protesters Over ACLU Objections
A new article from Al Jazeera reports that the first trial in the sprawling web of inauguration day felony rioting prosecutions has commenced as of this week. Among the group of defendants in this initial case is independent journalist Alexei … Read more »
New Justice Department Memo Reins in Records Request Gag Orders
Ars Technica reports: the US Department of Justice issued a memo last week which imposes new limits on gag orders accompanying certain Department records requests. Drafted by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the memo governs 2705(b) gag orders, which … Read more »
Judge Restricts Justice Department’s Expansive Warrant Against Protest Site Hosts
A case that might appear to involve merely a legal technicality regarding the scope of a warrant actually here involves a major and under-reported threat to First Amendment protest rights:
A judge on the District of Columbia Superior Court has … Read more »
Justice Department Slaps Facebook with Warrants for Protesters’ Account Information
Al Jazeera reveals that the US Department of Justice, as part of its ongoing prosecution of Inauguration Day protesters, has issued search warrants for a group page and user accounts related to the Disrupt J20 campaign. The three warrants … Read more »
US House Passes Measure Blocking Justice Department’s Resumption of Civil Forfeiture Loophole
A new piece from The Intercept reports that the US House of Representatives by a 211-198 vote has adopted language which would nullify the Department of Justice policy resuming federal civil forfeiture practices under the Equitable Sharing Program. The appropriations bill’s … Read more »
