FC: Michigan cops get to search homes without revealing why

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Related Politech message:

"Letter asks Congress to nix "secret searches" from USA Act" 
http://www.politechbot.com/p-02682.html

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Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 13:00:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Naomi Lopez Bauman <naomi_lopez_bauman () yahoo com>
Subject: Home Searches in Michigan
To: politech () politechbot com

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3936063&BRD=982&PAG=461&dept_id=467992&rfi=6

   April 24, 2002
   The state Legislature has given police power to search your home
   without telling you why.
   Two new laws, which took effect Monday as part of anti-terror efforts,
   also shield from public scrutiny the reasons for police searches.

   Defense lawyers and civil libertarians are outraged at the laws, which
   make search warrants and supporting documents such as affidavits
   non-public records.

   "If you think the police did secretive work before, just wait,"
   defense attorney William Cataldo said. "It gives more power to the
   ignorant and more power to those who would take your rights."

   Defense lawyer Walter Piszczatowski said: "This is nuts, this is
   beyond nuts.

   "What happened to the Fourth Amendment? We're living in a police
   state."

   That means the public, the press, and in some cases even the person
   accused of the crime, can't know why the police entered a home without
   permission.

   [...]




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