Demanding a day in court

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Terkel v_ AT&T

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Court hears arguments in case challenging constitutionality of law granting immunity to telecommunications’ companies for spying..

http://www.aclu-il.org/court-hears-arguments-in-case-challenging-constitutionality-of-law-granting-immunity-to-telecommunications%E2%80%99-companies-for-spying/

Nearly a decade after the terrorists attack of 9/11, there remains a constant source of aggravation for those concerned with civil liberties: In response to those terrible attacks, a number of individuals - inside or outside of government - directed and collaborated in efforts to abridge the civil liberties of millions of Americans.   Yet, none of these individuals have ever been held accountable for these abuses. Not one.

This week, ACLU of Illinois Legal Director Harvey Grossman appears before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle, seeking to hold the nation’s telecommunications companies accountable for their collaboration in spying on Americans. In early 2006, new reports uncovered evidence that the major phone companies, including AT&T, cooperated with the federal government in spying on Americans without a warrant.   It was revealed that the companies turned over to the government records regarding the phone calls made by millions of customers across the nation. Later it was revealed that this collaboration included actual communications as well.

The ACLU of Illinois responded by filing a suit against AT&T for failing to protect their customers’ privacy - a suit brought by author and historian Studs Terkel, Dr. Quentin Young, State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie, James Montgomery, a former Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, Diane Geraghty, Professor at Loyola University School of Law and Rabbi Gary Gerson.

Congress slammed the courthouse door closed for our clients (and plaintiffs in more than 30 other cases filed across the nation) when it passed (and President Bush signed) legislation providing immunity to all the phone companies. We will tell the appellate court that the telecommunications companies have violated the rights of our clients and we must have some forum to challenge that behavior. Without any remedy, there simply is no vehicle for protecting against similar violations in the future. There must be some accountability for these abuses.

The ACLU is arguing this matter in conjunction with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  We will keep you apprised of developments.

Sincerely,

Colleen K. Connell
Executive Director
                              ACLU of Illinois
www.aclu-il.org