Judge Rules NSA Warrantless Spy Program Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Detroit has ruled that the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional and must be halted. President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency program in 2001 and it was revealed in the media last year.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor found that the program violated freedom of speech, protections against unreasonable searches and a constitutional check on the power of the presidency.

In her 43-page ruling, Taylor wrote "There are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution."

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales held a news conference after the decision came out to defend the surveillance program.

* Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General, speaking August 17, 2006.

The wiretapping suit was filed in Michigan by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a number of journalists, lawyers and scholars who believed their communications had been monitored.

The Justice Department has appealed the decision and a hearing is set for September 7th. The ruling is on hold while the appeals process is under way.

* Glenn Greenwald, constitutional law attorney specializing in presidential power and First Amendment issues. He is the author of the new book "How Would a Patriot Act?" and runs the blog Unclaimed Territory.

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