Wiretaps in US increase by 19 percent in 2004 News
Wiretaps in US increase by 19 percent in 2004

[JURIST] Wiretaps increased by 19 percent last year, with federal and state judges approving 1,710 applications while denying none, the Administrative Office of the US Courts [official website] reported Thursday. New York, California, New Jersey and Florida accounted for three of every four surveillance orders. The number of court-authorized wiretaps jumped last year as investigators pursued drug and other cases against increasingly tech-savvy suspects. The increased surveillance led to 4,506 arrests and 634 convictions based on wiretap evidence. The numbers do not include wiretaps for terror-related investigations under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) [Wikipedia article; bill text]. According to the Justice Department, warrants brought under FISA reached a record of 1,754 last year. Read the Administrative Office press release [PDF] and the full report. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.