Specter/Kennedy-Working On Legislation That Would Challenge BUSCHCO's State Secret's Claim

[kpete]

Specter, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and others are working on legislation that would direct federal judges to review the president's state secrets claims and allow cases with merit to go forward.

Practices among judges vary. Some accept state secrets claims outright, dismissing cases on the government's word. Others read the privileged information and decide for themselves, but almost invariably side with the government, according to legal scholars.

The draft legislation is modeled on procedures used in criminal cases that involve classified information. The Classified Information Protection Act lets judges review classified information a criminal defendant wants to use in his defense, but which could compromise national security if it were released publicly. The law allows the court to delete classified passages, substitute summaries of the information, or substitute a statement of facts that the classified information would prove.

The measure could become part of the Senate's new eavesdropping law, expected to be voted on in early December, the aides said.

more at:
http://www.examiner.com/a-1068208~Congress__Courts_Examine__State_Secrets_.html?cid=rss-Top_News

[Toots]

1. If Specter is apart of it nothing will happen

He is only there to sabotage any real progress.

[Fridays Child]

2. Then we'll get to see Specter kill his own legislation.

That'll be interesting.