Case Journal 2: US v. AP (William Rehnquist)

This case starts with the Washington Post revealing the Department of Justice’s use of the PRISM program in collecting private information of reporters and editors of The Associated Press. A previous court case, Jewel v. NSA, set a sort of precedent in how the government has treated cases involving invasions of privacy. The government claimed that it had to be done for national security purposes, forcing the invasion of privacy charge to be dropped. Jewel appealed to higher courts, claiming that surveillance issues need to be dealt with under the procedures of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, meaning its violation of the First and Fourth Amendments need to be considered.

I’ve always been more of an advocate for states’ rights, and I usually see no reason for the government to pervade a multitude of aspects in life. For example, in U.S. v. Lopez in 1995, I ruled against a federal act that made it illegal to carry a gun into school zones. The government shouldn’t have the right to affect something so specific. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean I’m anti-government. I don’t jump at every accused violation of the First Amendment. I analyze everything and am fair with my judgments.

Sources
https://www.eff.org/cases/jewel
http://www.biography.com/people/william-rehnquist-9454479#supreme-court-justice
http://www.anb.org/articles/15/15-01350.html

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