Latest Abuse: Feds Reading Emails Between Prisoners And Their Lawyers
from the because-they-can dept
Another day, another story of abuse by federal prosecutors. The latest is that they're now regularly reading the emails between inmates and their lawyers. These are the kinds of things that most people believe should be part of confidential attorney-client privilege. And, for quite some time, prosecutors respected that. However, now they're claiming that since prisoners using the prison email system agree to a notice upfront saying their communications may be monitored, they gave up that right.Inmates’ calls to or from lawyers, however, are generally exempt from such monitoring. But across the country, federal prosecutors have begun reading prisoners’ emails to lawyers — a practice wholly embraced in Brooklyn, where prosecutors have said they intend to read such emails in almost every case.The "divide" from judges seems pretty ridiculous. Some judges say it's okay in part because inmates have other ways to communicate privately with their lawyers, but everyone with a basis in reality notes that those "other ways" (mainly letters) take forever and really hamper the ability of an inmate to work with his or her lawyers. But, some courts just don't care.
The issue has spurred court battles over whether inmates have a right to confidential email communications with their lawyers — a question on which federal judges have been divided.
The judge overseeing that case, Allyne R. Ross, ruled on Thursday that the government was allowed to review the emails. “The government’s policy does not ‘unreasonably interfere’ with Mr. DiFiore’s ability to consult his counsel,” she wrote.This certainly seems like one of those issues that's destined for the Supreme Court in the near future.
In Dr. Ahmed’s case, the judge, Dora L. Irizarry, ruled against the government last month, barring it “from looking at any of the attorney-client emails, period.”
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Filed Under: attorney-client privilege, doj, feds, inmates, prosecutors
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If you were wondering just how out of hand the Government has gotten, I don't even think that this ranks that high.
I can't wait to seem how many people that are incarcerated are going to be filing appeals due to their rights being violated. I am sure that the ABA is going to have a shit when their suspicions have now being confirmed.
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They are willing to invade our privacy with illegal listening. The FBI seems to be creating conspiracies for itself to stop. The DEA won't back off on its drug busts and the IRS does nasty stuff to the political opposition of the president. Then there is Hillary Clinton and Benghazi.
It is pretty scary. I mean, when you don't know if you can trust the authorities you are really in mess. All the stuff I mentioned above are Gestapo like tactics.
I am no fan of Bill Clinton but wouldn't it be nice to just have a horny frat boy to worry about.
The government we have now is terrifying. These guys don't even know what they are doing is wrong. They just don't get it.
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Americans don't have rights, they have government granted privileges, which can be withdrawn at any time.
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While that would be nice, the U.S. Supreme Court seems to be content with the Government and it's agencies breaking all kinds of laws and violating constitutional rights.
It's not like they have no idea what's going on, they just seem to be afraid to rule against the government or set down rulings against this mess that are based on law, the constitution and peoples rights.
If there isn't interference from the White House and it's spy agencies going on, I would be shocked
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Does that mean I can put a sign up in my offce saying "those that enter agree I can punch them in face without replique" and totally get away with that?
Or do I need to be the government for that work...
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If the inmates AGREE to monitoring to USE the email system then they agreed to monitoring. If they want private communications use the private methods.
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no?
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so that's like what 5yrs-never?
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There's always carrier pigeons.
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Easy.
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Prison Break
Cc: Inmate Prison Break Group #1 of 20
The breakout will be at 10pm Friday night in the south east corner, directly opposite the laundry. Please have getaway vehicle and change of clothes ready. To the guards reading this - haha, hope you enjoy missing your friday night football game.
Yours Sincerely
Inmate Prison Break Group #1
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On the other hand, I do wonder how the e-mails between prisoners and their legal counsel are supposed to be segregated from the rest of their e-mail communications (which I presumes are understandably subject to monitoring). I really don't see any methods beyond
a) encryption (which I'm pretty sure that prisoners aren't/won't be allowed to use)
b) the honour system (which in effect means that the same authorities can be trusted to resist the temptation to not peek, even though they know it won't leave any trace visible to the prisoner or the lawyers).
All of which leads to yet one more issue... At this point one has to ask: how do we really know that physical mail communications between prisoner and counsel are not being intercepted?
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By this reasoning, prisons should be able to ban paper and pencils and only allow inmates to communicate via stone tablet and chisel. I'm sure this slower, more inefficient means of communication won't put the defense at any disadvantage compared to the prosecution, who have unfettered access to email.
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