10/28/2015

DispellingtheMyths

DispellingtheMyths
DispellingSomeoftheMajorMythsabouttheUSAPATRIOTAct

WHATISTHEPROTECTAMERICA
ACT?
DISPELLINGTHEMYTHS
RECENTCONGRESSIONAL
TESTIMONY/LETTERS
RELEASES/TRANSCRIPTS
TEXTOFTHEPROTECTAMERICA
ACT
APRIL2007FISA
MODERNIZATIONPROPOSAL

WHATISTHEUSAPATRIOTWEB
TESTIMONY
DISPELLINGTHEMYTHS
PASSEDBYCONGRESS
CONGRESSSPEAKS
RESPONDINGTOCONGRESS
TEXTOFTHEPATRIOTACT

Myth:TheACLUclaimsthatthePatriotAct"expandsterrorismlawstoinclude'domesticterrorism'
whichcouldsubjectpoliticalorganizationstosurveillance,wiretapping,harassment,andcriminal
actionforpoliticaladvocacy."Theyalsoclaimthatitincludesa"provisionthatmightallowthe
actionsofpeacefulgroupsthatdissentfromgovernmentpolicy,suchasGreenpeace,tobetreated
as'domesticterrorism.'"(ACLU,February11,2003ACLUfundraisingletter,citedbyStuartTaylorin
"UnPATRIOTic,"NationalJournal,August4,2003)
Reality:ThePatriotActlimitsdomesticterrorismtoconductthatbreakscriminallaws,
endangeringhumanlife."Peacefulgroupsthatdissentfromgovernmentpolicy"without
breakinglawscannotbetargeted.PeacefulpoliticaldiscourseanddissentisoneofAmerica's
mostcherishedfreedoms,andisnotsubjecttoinvestigationasdomesticterrorism.UnderthePatriot
Act,thedefinitionof"domesticterrorism"islimitedtoconductthat(1)violatesfederalorstate
criminallawand(2)isdangeroustohumanlife.Therefore,peacefulpoliticalorganizations
engaginginpoliticaladvocacywillobviouslynotcomeunderthisdefinition.(PatriotAct,Section
802)
Myth:TheACLUhasclaimedthat"Many[people]areunawarethattheirlibraryhabitscould
becomethetargetofgovernmentsurveillance.Inafreesociety,suchmonitoringisodiousand
unnecessary...Thesecrecythatsurroundssection215leadsustoasocietywherethe'thought
police'cantargetusforwhatwechoosetoreadorwhatWebsiteswevisit."(ACLU,July22,2003)
Reality:ThePatriotActspecificallyprotectsAmericans'FirstAmendmentrights,and
terrorisminvestigatorshavenointerestinthelibraryhabitsofordinaryAmericans.Historically,
terroristsandspieshaveusedlibrariestoplanandcarryoutactivitiesthatthreatenournational
security.Ifterroristsorspiesuselibraries,weshouldnotallowthemtobecomesafehavensfortheir
terroristorclandestineactivities.ThePatriotActensuresthatbusinessrecordswhetherfroma
libraryoranyotherbusinesscanbeobtainedinnationalsecurityinvestigationswiththe
permissionofafederaljudge.
Examiningbusinessrecordsoftenprovidesthekeythatinvestigatorsarelookingfortosolveawide
rangeofcrimes.Investigatorsmightseekselectrecordsfromhardwarestoresorchemicalplants,for
example,tofindoutwhoboughtmaterialstomakeabomb,orbankrecordstoseewho'ssending
moneytoterrorists.Lawenforcementauthoritieshavealwaysbeenabletoobtainbusinessrecords
incriminalcasesthroughgrandjurysubpoenas,andcontinuetodosoinnationalsecuritycases
whereappropriate.Inarecentdomesticterrorismcase,forexample,agrandjuryserveda
subpoenaonabooksellertoobtainrecordsshowingthatasuspecthadpurchasedabookgiving
instructionsonhowtobuildaparticularlyunusualdetonatorthathadbeenusedinseveral
bombings.Thiswasimportantevidenceidentifyingthesuspectasthebomber.
Innationalsecuritycaseswhereuseofthegrandjuryprocesswasnotappropriate,investigators
previouslyhadlimitedtoolsattheirdisposaltoobtaincertainbusinessrecords.UnderthePatriot
Act,thegovernmentcannowaskafederalcourt(theForeignIntelligenceSurveillanceCourt),if
neededtoaidaninvestigation,toorderproductionofthesametypeofrecordsavailablethrough
grandjurysubpoenas.Thisfederalcourt,however,canissuetheseordersonlyafterthe
governmentdemonstratestherecordsconcernedaresoughtforanauthorizedinvestigationto
obtainforeignintelligenceinformationnotconcerningaU.S.personortoprotectagainst
internationalterrorismorclandestineintelligenceactivities,providedthatsuchinvestigationofa
U.S.personisnotconductedsolelyonthebasisofactivitiesprotectedbytheFirstAmendment.
Congressreviewsthegovernment'suseofbusinessrecordsundertheAct.Everysixmonths,the
AttorneyGeneralmust"fullyinform"Congressonhowithasbeenimplemented.OnOctober17,
2002,theHouseJudiciaryCommitteeissuedapressreleaseindicatingitissatisfiedwiththe
Department'suseofsection215:"TheCommittee'sreviewofclassifiedinformationrelatedtoFISA
ordersfortangiblerecords,suchaslibraryrecords,hasnotgivenrisetoanyconcernthatthe
authorityisbeingmisusedorabused."
Myth:TheACLUclaimsthatthePatriotActprovisionaboutdelayednotificationsearchwarrants
"wouldallowlawenforcementagenciestodelaygivingnoticewhentheyconductasearch....This
provisionwouldmarkaseachangeinthewaysearchwarrantsareexecutedintheUnitedStates."
(ACLU,October23,2001)
Reality:Delayednotificationsearchwarrantsarealongexisting,crimefightingtoolupheldby
courtsnationwidefordecadesinorganizedcrime,drugcasesandchildpornography.The
PatriotActsimplycodifiedtheauthoritylawenforcementhadalreadyhadfordecades.Thistoolisa
vitalaspectofourstrategyofpreventiondetectingandincapacitatingterroristsbeforetheyareable
tostrike.

http://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/subs/u_myths.htm

1/2

10/28/2015

DispellingtheMyths
Insomecasesifcriminalsaretippedofftooearlytoaninvestigation,theymightflee,destroy
evidence,intimidateorkillwitnesses,cutoffcontactwithassociates,ortakeotheractiontoevade
arrest.Therefore,federalcourtsinnarrowcircumstanceslonghaveallowedlawenforcementto
delayforalimitedtimewhenthesubjectistoldthatajudiciallyapprovedsearchwarranthasbeen
executed.Thistoolcanbeusedonlywithacourtorder,inextremelynarrowcircumstanceswhen
immediatenotificationmayresultindeathorphysicalharmtoanindividual,flightfromprosecution,
evidencetampering,witnessintimidation,orseriousjeopardytoaninvestigation.Thereasonable
delaygiveslawenforcementtimetoidentifythecriminal'sassociates,eliminateimmediatethreatsto
ourcommunities,andcoordinatethearrestsofmultipleindividualswithouttippingthemoff
beforehand.Inallcases,lawenforcementmustgivenoticethatpropertyhasbeensearchedor
seized.
TheSupremeCourthasheldtheFourthAmendmentdoesnotrequirelawenforcementtogive
immediatenoticeoftheexecutionofasearchwarrant.TheSupremeCourtemphasized"thatcovert
entriesareconstitutionalinsomecircumstances,atleastiftheyaremadepursuanttoawarrant."In
fact,theCourtstatedthatanargumenttothecontrarywas"frivolous."Daliav.U.S.,441U.S.238
(1979)
AdditionalPatriotActmyths

ContactUs|Accessibility|FOIA|Archive|ForDOJEmployees|SiteMap|PrivacyPolicy
NoFEARAct|FirstGov|OtherGovernmentResources

http://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/subs/u_myths.htm

2/2