Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 00:09:14 -0400
From: Scott Alexander <salex@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Patriot Act already being used against non-terrorists
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
I generally worry that well-meaning members of the government will
expand the powers of government with a narrow purpose and those expanded
powers will be used by a later administration in a way that clearly
erodes our rights. (I think that the RICO act, originally passed to
help battle organized crime, and now seemingly used a a conspiracy law
with more teeth is an example of how this happens.)
However, the following article leads me to wonder if a general expansion
of government power was the original intent in the case of the Patriot
Act.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=8&u=/ap/20030914/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/anti_terror_laws_2
A few excerpts:
The Justice Department (news - web sites) said it has used authority
given to it by the USA Patriot Act to crack down on currency smugglers
and seize money hidden overseas by alleged bookies, con artists and drug
dealers.
A North Carolina county prosecutor charged a man accused of running a
methamphetamine lab with breaking a new state law barring the
manufacture of chemical weapons. If convicted, Martin Dwayne Miller
could get 12 years to life in prison for a crime that usually brings
about six months.
"Within six months of passing the Patriot Act, the Justice Department
was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions
to extend them beyond terror cases," said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for
the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. "They say they
want the Patriot Act to fight terrorism, then, within six months, they
are teaching their people how to use it on ordinary citizens."
Scott
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Scott Alexander <salex@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>