re: #27 CMReaK

I was wondering if it might make sense to create an office that represents the people at all FISA hearings. There does need to be a counterweight to the government’s arguments at any hearing.

You already have that — that’s what the judge does.

The FISA court is acting like a magistrate, where only one party appears. It’s always in camera.

Unless you’re a terrorist or associate with terrorists, you’re not affected by what the FISA court does. You’re not a party to the proceedings. That’s the judge’s function — he/she’s representative of the people. He/she is the one who is the check against the prosecution if the latter’s argument is insufficient.

This is no different than a magistrate court. I think a lot of people are over-reacting without understanding what this court does — it’s not holding trials.