June 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2006
CONTACT: media@aclu.org
Latest Development: Court Tells Government It Must Defend
Legality of
the Program and Make “State Secrets” Argument Later
NEW YORK – The
American Civil Liberties Union will hold a briefing for reporters on Tuesday,
June 6 to discuss the first-ever court hearing on whether the National Security
Agency’s controversial warrantless surveillance program is constitutional.
The ACLU filed the landmark lawsuit in January against the NSA in
the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, seeking to stop a secret
electronic surveillance program that has been in place since shortly after
September 11, 2001. Judge Anna Diggs Taylor will hear oral arguments in the case
on June 12, 2006.
In an order issued late yesterday, Judge Taylor
postponed until July 10 any argument on the government’s request to dismiss the
case on state secrets grounds. The judge noted that the government had not
bothered to submit briefs on the legality of the program, but said she would
allow them to present arguments on June 12 “if they appear.” Until now, courts
that have looked at the NSA spying program have not addressed the underlying
constitutional issues.
The ACLU briefing will provide members of
the media with the latest background on its legal challenge and related
legislative initiatives, survey the landscape of other NSA wiretapping cases and
give reporters a first look at new legal documents to be filed by the ACLU late
in the day on June 5.
Judge Taylor’s order is available at:
www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/25726lgl20060531.html For
more information on the ACLU's lawsuit, including legal documents and client
statements, go to
www.aclu.org/nsaspying
