The state legislature continues to be in full swing. While much talk here on campus centers on a bill that would eliminate academic tenure, the criminal justice community is likely more interested in legislation that would expand warrantless cell phone surveillance. WRAL reports here that “[p]olice could track people’s cell phones in real time — without a warrant — under a bill that passed a state House committee Wednesday.” The bill in question is H719, and at a glance, it would allow the SBI to use a pen register or trap and trace device without court approval for up to 48 hours to find a runaway child or missing person, or when there is “immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury.” The bill has passed out of a House committee but its ultimate fate is uncertain. Keep reading for more news. Supreme Court suggests that its ethics are just fine. In the wake of reporting regarding personal and financial connections between Justice Clarence Thomas and billionaire Harlan Crow, the Senate Judiciary Committee invited Chief Justice Roberts to appear and discuss judicial ethics as they apply to the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice declined the invitation, citing “separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence.” He did, however, provide the Committee with a statement of ethics principles signed by the current Justices. The Chief Justice did not indicate that any changes had been made in light of recent news or that any changes were planned. The New York [...]
Faculty Coordinators
