Thursday, August 04, 2005
NY Civil Liberties Union files suit to block subway searches
The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed suit against the city to keep police from searching the bags of passengers entering the subway, organization lawyers said.
The suit, which filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, will claimed that the two-week old policy violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection and prohibitions against unlawful searches and seizures, while doing almost nothing to shield the city from terrorism.
It argues that the measure also allows the possibility for racial profiling, even though officers are ordered to randomly screen passengers."While concerns about terrorism of course justify -- indeed, require -- aggressive police tactics, those concerns cannot justify the Police Department's unprecedented policy of subjecting millions of innocent people to suspicionless searches," states the suit.
For those unfamiliar with the actual text of the United States Constitution, there is no “right of privacy” anywhere therein. There is no Constitutional right to carry a backpack, suitcase, briefcase or dufflebag on a public conveyance. There is a prohibition against “unreasonable” searches and seizures. What is unreasonable about the police checking to see if you’re carrying a bomb onto the subway?
Personally, I would think not being blown to bits by some whacko terrorist would rank pretty high on the list of "civil liberties".
The suit, which filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, will claimed that the two-week old policy violates constitutional guarantees of equal protection and prohibitions against unlawful searches and seizures, while doing almost nothing to shield the city from terrorism.
It argues that the measure also allows the possibility for racial profiling, even though officers are ordered to randomly screen passengers."While concerns about terrorism of course justify -- indeed, require -- aggressive police tactics, those concerns cannot justify the Police Department's unprecedented policy of subjecting millions of innocent people to suspicionless searches," states the suit.
For those unfamiliar with the actual text of the United States Constitution, there is no “right of privacy” anywhere therein. There is no Constitutional right to carry a backpack, suitcase, briefcase or dufflebag on a public conveyance. There is a prohibition against “unreasonable” searches and seizures. What is unreasonable about the police checking to see if you’re carrying a bomb onto the subway?
Personally, I would think not being blown to bits by some whacko terrorist would rank pretty high on the list of "civil liberties".
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