Topic: The Law
Be careful out there...
And they say Saturday is a slow news day. Here's an item that will make you be more careful about what you let other people know about your opinions.
Feds win right to war protesters' records
Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press, Last updated: 2:15 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 2004
Okay, could be nothing.DES MOINES, Iowa -- In what may be the first subpoena of its kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists.
In addition to the subpoena of Drake University, subpoenas were served this past week on four of the activists who attended a Nov. 15 forum at the school, ordering them to appear before a grand jury Tuesday, the protesters said.
Federal prosecutors refuse to comment on the subpoenas.
In addition to records about who attended the forum, the subpoena orders the university to divulge all records relating to the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a New York-based legal activist organization that sponsored the forum.
... The forum, titled "Stop the Occupation! Bring the Iowa Guard Home!" came the day before 12 protesters were arrested at an anti-war rally at Iowa National Guard headquarters in Johnston. Organizers say the forum included nonviolence training for people planning to demonstrate.
The targets of the subpoenas believe investigators are trying to link them to an incident that occurred during the rally. A Grinnell College librarian was charged with misdemeanor assault on a peace officer; she has pleaded innocent, saying she simply went limp and resisted arrest.
"The best approach is not to speculate and see what we learn on Tuesday" when the four testify, said Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, which is representing one of the protesters.
Well, this could have nothing to do with dissent at all. Maybe there was a child-molesting Catholic priest in the crowd and they want find out where he is and arrest him. Or maybe one of the protesters was someone who illegally downloaded some tunes and the RIAA asked for federal help to cull him out from this crowd.... According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, the Drake subpoena asks for records of the request for a meeting room, "all documents indicating the purpose and intended participants in the meeting, and all documents or recordings which would identify persons that actually attended the meeting."
It also asks for campus security records "reflecting any observations made of the Nov. 15, 2003, meeting, including any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any records of attendees of the meeting."
... A source with knowledge of the investigation said a judge had issued a gag order forbidding school officials from discussing the subpoena.
One could speculate. One shouldn't.
But one now really should stay away from public protests. And should avoid making public statements. Watch what you do. Watch what you say. Be careful what you write.
We did elect these guys to protect America, and they will.
Posted by Alan at 13:46 PST
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