US+Patriot+Act



US Patriot Act Fact Sheet What is the Patriot Act? An overnight revision of the nation's surveillance laws. Most of surveillance revisions were on the law enforcement 'wish list' that had already been rejected by Congress, sometimes repeatedly US **Constitution (Bill of Rights)** - 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof -1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech. -4th Amendment: The Right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. -6l Amendment: The accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial -6n Amendment: to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense -6th Amendment: to be confronted with the witness against him.

US **Patriot Act** -To assist terror investigation, the government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity. -The government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation. -The government may search and seize Americans' papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigations. -The government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial. -The government may monitor conversations between attorneys and clients in federal prisons and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes. -Americans maybe jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them. -law allows out intelligence and law enforcement officials to continue to share information. -strengthens the Justice Department so it can better detect and disrupt terrorist threats. -gives law enforcement new tools to combat threats to out citizens from international terrorists to local drug dealers. -Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support -Federal, state, and local law enforcement have used the Patriot Act to breakup terror cells in Ohio, New York, Oregon and Virginia -Prosecuted terrorist operatives and supporters in California, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, and North Carolina -Created the new position of Assistant Attorney General for National Security -Made it harder to buy Methamphetamine in bulk -Increases government's surveillance powers: Record searches, secret searches, intelligence searches, 'trap and trace' searches -Neither discussion nor amendments were permitted, and member's barley had time to read the thick bill before they were forced to vote. -Bush Administration implied that members who voted against would be blamed for any further attacks. -many of the act's provisions have nothing at all to do with terrorism -Section 215 of Patriot Act allows the FBI to force anyone at all-doctors, libraries, bookstores, universities, and Internet Service providers-to turn over records on their clients or customers -Government no longer has to show evidence -FBI doesn't even have to show reasonable suspicion -Judicial oversight is essentially non-existent
 * Positive things about the Patriot Act **
 * Negative things about the Patriot Act **