US judge orders domestic spying cases to proceed

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — US officials failed to sideline dozens of domestic spying lawsuits on Tuesday as a federal judge ordered the war on terror-connected cases to proceed despite a pending appeal.

San Francisco District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker issued a brief written ruling that allowed evidence-gathering to commence conditionally despite protests by government lawyers.

The government lawyers wanted Walker to halt the proceedings while they press the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse his decision last year not to toss out the first of the cases in the interest of national security.

In what is the first of 48 domestic spying lawsuits consolidated before Walker, the Electronic Freedom Foundation sued AT and T on behalf of telecom customers....