Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.
Judge Rules N.S.A. Phone Records Collection Program Legal
Today, Judge William H. Pauley II denied the ACLU’s effort to halt the N.S.A.’s mass collection of American’s phone records. The first line of the U.S. District judge’s conclusion states: “The right to be free from searches and seizures is fundamental, but not absolute.” Finding no evidence that the Government has used any metadata collected for purposes other than investigating and disrupting terrorist attacks, Judge Pauley deemed the N.S.A.’s program lawful.
Jameel Jaffer announced that the ACLU intends to appeal, as the decision “misinterprets the relevant statutes, understates the privacy implications of the government’s surveillance and misapplies a narrow and outdated precedent to read away core constitutional protections.”
The ACLU Mourns the Passing of Robert W. Wilson
Robert W. Wilson, member of the ACLU for over four decades, died on December 23, 2013 at age 87. Bob was passionate about criminal justice reform, and inspired others though his committed philanthropy. Through the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust, he set up the Legacy of Liberty Challenge, inspiring ACLU supporters to pledge over $200 million in legacy gifts. The ACLU is truly grateful for the impact that Bob has made.
Congress Votes To Lift Ban on Consensual Gay Sex in the Military
Last week, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). What you might not have heard about is a lift on the discriminatory military ban on private, consensual intimate conduct included in the defense bill. While this legislative victory protects intimate relationships of all servicemembers, it is of particular significance to gay and lesbian servicemembers. Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice bars servicemembers from engaging in “unnatural copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal”. The proposed alteration would ban “forcible sodomy” and “bestiality” while decriminalizing consensual sexual activity. Read more about the step toward fair treatment of all military personnel here.
