FBI Wants Civil Liberties Circumvention

Apparently still stuck in the post 9/11 fever that gripped the nation, allowing the passage of the USA Patriot Act that trampled on civil liberties with nary a care for that outdated document, the Constitution, the FBI has asked Congress for more power to subpoena documents without judicial oversight.

Valerie Caproni, FBI general counsel, told the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee her agency needed the power to issue what are known as administrative subpoenas to get information quickly about terrorist plots and the activities of foreign agents.

Civil liberties groups have complained the subpoenas, which would cover medical, tax, gun-purchase, book purchase, travel and other records and could be kept secret, would give the FBI too much power and could infringe on privacy and free speech.

"This type of subpoena authority would allow investigators to obtain relevant information quickly in terrorism investigations, where time is often of the essence," Caproni testified.
While law enforcement agencies need to be able to investigate potential terrorists, judicial oversight, even if sometimes a rubber stamp, remains a crucial means to preserve civil liberties and stop them from gaining too much power. Civil liberties are hard earned but often easily lost - throwing them away in the name of security would be a giant step backwards.

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