Word: wiretap
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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When the government claims that a case involves a national-security risk, its power increases substantially. Investigators can order a search or wiretap without notifying the subjects of the search; prosecutors can restrict the discovery of evidence, impede defense lawyers' access to their clients or require that an entire jury have security clearance. In illegal-immigrant cases like Ahmed's, the government can keep its case secret, indefinitely, in the name of protecting intelligence sources. There have been at least 20 secret-evidence cases brought since 1996, nearly all against Arab Muslims...
Legally, Carnivore can't be deployed without a court order, same as a telephone wiretap. Before it goes to a federal judge, agents must come up with compelling arguments that the evidence to be collected is crucial and can't be acquired any other way. Then their warrant application must be personally reviewed and signed by the attorney general or one of her top assistants. Civil libertarians fear agents will ignore these hurdles, in practice and range freely through the Internet, but FBI officials say any agent found to deviate from the rules will be charged with a federal felony...
LINDA TRIPP Wiretap charge dropped. Judge: Clintonistas violated your privacy rights. Now, pleeeze disappear...
...still in jail, unable to come up with $5 million bail. There is some skepticism about the extent of Gravano's role among federal officials who know him. They say there is a big difference between mentoring kids and masterminding a drug operation. "This is going to be a wiretap case," says a defense lawyer. "If the wiretaps hold up, the government has a good case. If they don't, it falls apart...