By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a
ruling with potentially far-reaching consequences, a federal judge
declared Monday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of
millions of Americans' telephone records likely violates the U.S.
Constitution's ban on unreasonable search. The ruling, filled with
blistering criticism of the Obama administration's arguments, is the
first of its kind on the controversial program.
Even if NSA's
"metadata" collection of records should pass constitutional muster, the
judge said, there is little evidence it has ever prevented a terrorist
attack. The collection program was disclosed by former NSA systems
analyst Edward Snowden, provoking a heated national and international
debate.
U.S. District Court
Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction against the
collecting of the phone records of two men who had challenged the
program and said any such records for the men should be destroyed. But
he put enforcement of that decision on hold pending a near-certain
government appeal, which may well end up at the Supreme Court.
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