FBI Seizes Library Computers Without Warrant

[Ters]

The FBI removed computer records from the C. Burr Artz Library this week, a library official confirmed Saturday.

Darrell Batson, director of Frederick County Public Libraries, said two FBI employees came to the downtown Frederick library either Wednesday or Thursday. The agents removed two public computers from the library's second floor. They told him they were taking the units back to their office in Washington, D.C., Batson said.

Batson expected the computers would be returned early this week, he said.

Debbie Weierman, spokeswoman for the FBI's Washington field office, would not comment Saturday on whether the agency had removed records from the library.

This was the third time in his 10 years with FCPL that the FBI has come to the library seeking records, Batson said. It was the first time they came without a court order.

The library's procedure for such requests usually requires a court order, however after the agent described the case and the situation, he was persuaded to give them access, Batson said.

"They had an awful lot of information," he said, but he was not allowed to discuss specifics.

"It was a decision I made on my experience and the information given to me," he said.

C. Burr Artz Library has several dozen public computers. The agents seemed to know which ones they needed access to, he said.

Anyone with a library card and a PIN number can use FCPL computers. Without a library card, a person can get a temporary pass to go online.

Batson said the agents made no mention of Bruce Ivins, anthrax or Fort Detrick.

"Obviously it coincided with the events everyone is talking about," he said.

Source: WTOP News (http://wtopnews.com/?nid=598&sid=1452848#)

[Purgatory]

..That's a complete violation of the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. They NEED a warrant to seize the computers.

[ZeroBlack]

..That's a complete violation of the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. They NEED a warrant to seize the computers.

Not if they had reports that the users were using it for likely terrorist activity. :zaru

[Robotkiller]

Obviously it was done for our own good. There were terrorists checking out those books damnit!

[ZeroBlack]

Obviously it was done for our own good. There were terrorists checking out those books damnit!

Hellz ya,
America: Keeping everybody safe! While taking away your rights, one Bill of Rights Amendment at a time. :zaru

[Traveler]

First the GURPS Cyberpunk incident and now this :facepalm?!

[Deamiel]

Well, the director kind of handed them over. No point in crying foul play when they didn't technically seize them. They just took them with permission from the director.

[Girls' Generation]

Yep. The director gave up his 4th amendment rights when he let the FBI agents take the computers away.

[Purgatory]

God, I fucking hate this. why can't we just have a second Revolution already, damnit?!

[The Space Cowboy]

Seriously. Just write programs that securely wipe data when they are done. Make a lack of record-keeping the norm. You can't investigate what isn't there

[Simulacrum]

This was not a seizure as the items were willingly handed over to authorities. The inane liberal lunacy in this thread is thick enough to choke a horse.

God, I fucking hate this. why can't we just have a second Revolution already, damnit?! I'd imagine it's because the overwhelming majority of people who serve in the armed forces lean to the right. I mean, I'd like to see a second revolution if only to thin the herds of socialists in America, but it's just not going to happen.

[Nodonn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment

If your government wants to, They'll take away all your rights.
Deal with it.

[Shinobi Mugen]

Lol, it's cute how some of the people here think they still have rights... :amuse Sorry to break it to you, but you gave them all away when you where scared of the big bad terrorists. So quit bitching about it, you're the ones that asked for this, now you have to reap what you sowed...

[Pilaf]

I got to talk to a police officer one time for asking if the library carried books by Marx.

[Willaien]

Simulacrum, unfortunately, has a point. Admittedly, it shouts of subtle coercion, but, they were given permission. They probably would have taken them anyways, without their permission, however.

[niyesuH]

Obviously it was done for our own good. There were terrorists checking out those books damnit!

they have no other means after all:zaru

[GsG]

God, I fucking hate this. why can't we just have a second Revolution already, damnit?!

That's what I want to do and be apart of, but like you said already, if I do it alone, I'm likely to get assassinated since I don't have backup. :/

[cacophony]

i have your back.....i promise.

[Purgatory]

I'd imagine it's because the overwhelming majority of people who serve in the armed forces lean to the right. I mean, I'd like to see a second revolution if only to thin the herds of socialists in America, but it's just not going to happen.

It's odd though how some members of any branch of the U.S. military actually agree with what the minority say. Needless to say, we need something to happen. If we can to it to Britain, we can damn well to it again, only we need to make those majority who try to refute or are ignorant of it believe that what they see is not the truth, but only lies they feed on.

[Purgatory]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment

If your government wants to, They'll take away all your rights.
Deal with it.

Ever heard of a little thing call the CONSTITUTION? A government is made FOR the people. If the government violates the peoples' natural rights (which has been done NUMEROUS times before), it MUST be abolished and replaced with one that will not committ such an atrocious act. The Constitution was something we, the people, should go by. I'm not saying to directly go for it, but to follow its excerpts so that we would never be at the hands of a totalitarian/monarchial society.

[Deamiel]

Ever heard of a little thing call the CONSTITUTION? A government is made FOR the people. If the government violates the peoples' natural rights (which has been done NUMEROUS times before), it MUST be abolished and replaced with one that will not committ such an atrocious act. The Constitution was something we, the people, should go by. I'm not saying to directly go for it, but to follow its excerpts so that we would never be at the hands of a totalitarian/monarchial society.

What's the point in arguing your point in a thread that talks about an article with no constitutional violations?

[Tokoyami]

We need to stand up to this crap and revolt damnit....